Wolf's Moonlight
by RadiantBeam
Summary: A young wolf, chosen to infiltrate wolf hunters. A young wolf hunter, who swore to kill all wolves. When their paths collide, old secrets will be uncovered and a wolf pack will be ripped apart from the inside out. AU Chikane x Himeko
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kannazuki no Miko. I just own the AU.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Wolf's Moonlight**

_Chapter 1_

_For as long as I can remember, wolves and humans have been at war._

_Well… maybe war isn't quite the right word to describe it. I guess you could say it was… more of a stalemate of some kind. Wolves and humans actually preferred not to clash, but sometimes it was unavoidable. And the way our world was, it was hard to avoid a confrontation._

_Wolf packs in the modern world are very different from the ones our ancestors followed. For one thing, instead of one pair of alphas, each pack is led by several of their strongest (but not necessarily oldest) wolves. These wolves tended to take commands from the strongest wolf, often called the First Head. The numbers ranged from there—First, Second, Third, and so on._

_My pack had the largest number of Heads in the wolf world; originally there were eight of them, but by the time I was born the Eighth Head had been killed. It was her death that sent me spiraling down this path, because our First Head had suspicions about exactly how she had died._

_Wolves today also have gifts that our ancestors never possessed; first of all, wolves can actually speak to each other—and sometimes humans, if willing—telepathically. But the second gift is perhaps the most powerful…_

_This gift… allows us to take on a human form._

_A wolf cannot actually assume its human form until it is a year old, a recognized adult in the eyes of the Heads of its pack and able to hunt and kill for itself. Even then, once it gains the ability, it takes time to master and control; the ability to appear human doesn't come without a price._

_The fact is, wolf bodies can't generate the human form for long periods of time; if I remember correctly, I think adult wolves who have fully mastered it can only hold it for three days. Pups who have become a year old or are still young—like I once was—can only hold the form for a day before feeling the effects._

_And the effects themselves are enough to make any wolf wish they were dead. I can list them even now—nausea, dizziness, weakness, fever and cold—but that wouldn't properly describe how each sensation truly felt. I don't think there's any way to really describe it unless you've felt it._

_If any wolf is brave enough to hold their form past their limit, it simply becomes a matter of mind over body… and usually body wins. A popular wolf legend is that if a wolf can hold its human form for seven days and seven nights, it actually becomes human._

_My pack had settled in the forests around the Himemiya mansion before my own parents were born; it was just our luck that the clan happened to be the best wolf hunters in the world, renowned for their skill and the number of wolves who had died by their hand. By the time I was born and two years old, the star of the Himemiya family was their only daughter, Chikane Kaon Himemiya. _

_By my second birthday, the young heir of Himemiya was sixteen—and already a recognized wolf hunter after her twelfth birthday, when she had successfully killed her first wolf. Legend was that by the time she was sixteen she had actually wiped out the entire wolf pack on the northern border of our territory, but that was never confirmed._

_My parents were actually killed by the Himemiya family; not by Chikane herself, but by some cousin or ancestor of hers. I was only a pup at the time, and I… I was too young to ever really develop a grudge._

_I don't actually hate humans. I find them fascinating. I often had a bad habit of holding my human form for too long and eventually collapsing; Mako usually had to carry me back to the pack. She always scolded be on it, but I couldn't stop. I wanted to know everything I could about humans, what they loved and hated, __**who **__they loved and hated and why._

_I suppose a part of me… knew what would happen, when I had just turned two but was still considered in many ways a pup. Perhaps my heart had already accepted that in the near future I would meet a human, would fall in love… and that human would be… a wolf hunter._

_And not just any wolf hunter._

_Oh, the irony._

_But… I can never say that I regretted it. Even after it led to what it did, I never regretted it. I never could._

_I fell in love. And most of all… I wanted humans and wolves to be able to live in peace, so that my love would be acceptable to the world._

_Was that really too much to ask? Maybe it was…_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Jin? Jin, where _are _you? Jin, this isn't _funny_…"

Nose twitching nervously as her fur bristled, the slim young she-wolf picked her way cautiously through the meadow, paying no mind to the flowers that drifted in the breeze; usually she enjoyed being out in the open, beyond the shadows of the trees in the forest, but she was always _alone _when she did that. Now…

"Jin!" Her voice was barely a whisper, her lips curled back and her teeth baring slightly. "Jin, I'm serious! You'll get us _both _in trouble at this rate! Jin!" Shaking her head, eyes flickering with humor despite herself, the small golden wolf plunged on—the pink shell around her neck glittered in the sunlight.

She couldn't blame the pup—not really. It had been raining for the past two weeks, confining the youngster to the den, and it had been torture for the six week old pup. It was only natural that he would try and sneak away. No one had predicted that any offspring of Tsubasa and Miyako would be this wild, but it was an aspect of the pup that Himeko adored.

Usually.

"_Jin! _For the _last _time—"

The words died as a small dark brown bundle hurtled into her legs; the golden wolf yelped and crashed to the ground as the pup pounced on her. Dust clouded the air and when it finally cleared, lifting her head, the young baby-sitter found her charge sitting on her chest, his front paws resting on her throat and his tail wagging as his golden eyes gleamed.

"Gotcha, Himeko!" Tail still waving, Jin lowered his head and licked her nose, his eyes gleaming, the slight golden glow only calling attention to the unusual light green markings around his eyes. "I got ya good, didn't I?"

She chuckled. "Yes, you did," she agreed, lifting her head slightly to bump noses with the pup. "I'm sure your mother and father would be proud to know how their son ambushed his own baby-sitter, after the way you disappeared."

_That _knocked the wind out of Jin's sails; his shoulders slumped and he slid off Himeko as he realized that he'd wandered off, leaving worried parents behind. Again. He scuffed one paw along the ground as the golden she-wolf sat up, shaking her fur. "Sorry," he muttered. "But I just wanted to play, and Mom told me not to bother Dad when he was sleeping, so I thought…"

"_I _understand." Himeko cuffed the pup gently over his ear to silence him. "And I'm sure your mother and father will, too, once you explain it to them." She lowered her head, gently bumping noses with the crestfallen pup. "So what do you say we go back, huh?"

"Yeah, okay…"

Content that everything was taken care of, at least for the moment, Himeko nosed Jin to his paws and guided him into the trees, quietly relieved as shadows darkened her back and caused her golden fur to dapple. She glanced back over her shoulder, eyes narrow as her ears swiveled forward.

"Himeko?"

_Such an odd feeling… as though someone was watching me…_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Frowning a little, Himemiya Chikane watched with interest as the two wolves faded into the shadows of the trees; her horse snorted and shifted uneasily, scenting the two creatures, but she gently rubbed her hand along its neck and whispered soothingly into its ear, keeping her eyes on the place where the wolves had disappeared.

Chikane had known most of her life that a wolf pack dwelled within the forest around her home; rumor had it that it was one of the largest packs in the world, but despite this Chikane herself had never seen any wolves for years. It only proved how well these animals were able to hide themselves from human eyes, and her frown deepened.

It seemed that her home had inherited the most cunning pack of wolves; if the group was indeed as big as other hunters claimed, they had to have mastered the art of hiding themselves. These were the first wolves of that pack that she'd seen since birth.

They didn't seem like much, those two—a young female wolf, small and slender, and a chubby wolf pup with baby fuzz. If Chikane had to guess she'd wager that the female was about two years old, though her slim build seemed closer to that of a yearling. Chikane only knew she wasn't because of how efficiently she handled the pup. The pup, on the other hand, only appeared to be six weeks old, young and energetic. For the briefest moment, watching them, her fingers had itched to slide her bow off her back, to draw an arrow and shoot them down where they stood.

But she hadn't. She watched, and she'd let them go.

_Strange…_

Shaking her head, Chikane tugged gently on the reins and turned the horse around; despite herself, her eyes once again sought out that spot, as though the two wolves would magically materialize. She searched the trees for a flash of gold, though she knew the she-wolf was long gone, pup in tow.

For some reason, the golden-furred female had attracted Chikane's gaze first; she'd only noticed the pup later. All her life, a wolf had never haunted Chikane's thoughts the way this wolf was.

_Get a grip, _the blue-haired girl ordered herself firmly. _The wolf is gone. You'll probably never see her again. And even if you do, you'll probably have to kill her._

But she still gazed at that spot, as though waiting. She scowled.

"You're dead the next time I see you," she muttered, yanking roughly on the reins and urging her horse into a trot, suddenly eager to get away. "That's a promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This story... is probably going to be last on my list of updates. Thankfully the weekend is coming up, so I'm hoping to update some of my other stuff to devote some more time to this...

I know where I'm planning to go with this story, anyway. I know things are a little confusing right now (what with the wolf/wolf hunter thing), but everything will be explained soon.

Read and review, please!


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Kannazuki no Miko. Any idea where I can find DVDs for it?

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 2_

Moving silently through the forest like a shadow, Himeko bent her head and gripped Jin's scruff between her teeth, lifting the small pup off the ground. Muscles rippled beneath her fur as she sprang up onto a rock, trotting along the thin trail of the rock wall, worn down by years of wolf paws. To any normal human, it looked only like the side of the cliff, nothing more.

That was why it was the perfect place for the pack's home.

Keeping Jin off the ground (since the last time he'd tried to get through the bush he'd been cut up by thorns), Himeko swung around and lowered her head, driving through the thorns of the small wild rose bush so her shoulders and back took much of the impact. It didn't really bother her; she'd learned where the thorns were and how to avoid them most of the time. As she stepped into the clearing where the pack lived, she shook herself to smooth her fur and gently set Jin down.

"When are you gonna let me walk through the bush?" the pup asked, plopping down almost directly on her front paws. "I'm starting to figure out where the thorns are."

"When you stop wandering off." Gently sliding one paw out from under him, she rolled the pup over and nuzzled his belly, causing him to squeal and squirm in delight. "Now come on, let's get you home. Miyako's probably worried sick."

Himeko gently nosed Jin to his paws and urged him on; from where they stood a rock path circled along the grassy clearing, the gentle trickling of the small silver stream that slashed through it the only sound. Wolves lay in the grass, sleeping or conversing with pack mates or grooming; the morning hunt had only just ended, and another large party wouldn't be sent out until sundown. The two wolves made their way down, the hard rock giving way to grass beneath their paws.

The young golden she-wolf focused on the den, a small cave carved into rock on the other side of the clearing; it was far from the opening and hidden by bushes so that any enemies who attacked wouldn't immediately know where the pups were. As she padded through the grass, keeping Jin watchfully ahead of her, Himeko lifted her tail and waved it briefly in greeting as her fellow pack mates called to her, welcoming her back and thanking her for finding the pup; Jin was, truth be told, the only offspring of the two most powerful wolves in the pack, and no one wanted to lose him.

"Himeko!" She glanced up as a slim black wolf bounded toward her, his tail high and his eyes gleaming; unable to resist she walked the last few feet and touched noses with her childhood friend. "Souma," she said, turning her head so she could brush her muzzle along his neck. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the other Heads?"

"Well, for one thing, I have to come collect my nephew for Tsubasa." The black male lowered his head, gently licking the pup's ear; Jin yipped in joy and reached up with one paw, batting at the older wolf's muzzle. "And for another, the Heads want you."

"Me?" Himeko flicked an ear. "Are you sure you don't mean Mako? Wait, is Kazuki still trying to get us engaged?"

"No. Mako's out patrolling with two others, and Kazuki gave up on that plot a long time ago." Souma's eyes gleamed with good humor for his adopted brother's meddling. "Just go, I'll be there in no time."

"Okay."

Souma brushed her shoulder briefly with his tail before he lowered his head, scooped Jin up, and trotted away; Himeko watched him go before turning, her eyes scanning the wall for the only other trail in the clearing; spotting it, she shook her head and loped forward.

_What could the Heads possibly want with me?_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Good, you're here." Kazuki's voice sounded near her left ear, but Himeko kept her eyes respectfully low as she walked to the center of the clearing and sat, wrapping her tail around her paws and gazing intently at the blades of grass. She was still by many standards a pup, and still prone to bouts of nervousness.

"Himeko, lift your eyes." The voice that spoke had a gentle musical lilt to it, almost like the tune of a song. "_We _called _you _here; you are of equal power to us right now."

"R-right. Sorry." And taking a deep breath, the young wolf lifted her head as Souma slipped through the crack and took his place.

The seven Heads of her pack gazed down at her, and she forced herself not to flinch away, instead studying each wolf she saw and quietly accessing them the way she was certain they were accessing her.

Tsubasa was the First Head, and by far the largest wolf Himeko had ever seen—twice the size of any male wolf she'd glimpsed in her life, his fur was the color of snow and muscles rippled smoothly beneath his skin. A large, jagged scar slashed over his left eye, sealing it shut where there should have been a gleam of gold; legend had it that a wolf hunter had robbed the white wolf of his eye, and that was why Tsubasa had such a hatred for humans. His temper was legendary among wolves, and only one wolf was known to possess the skill to completely soothe him.

That wolf sat beside him now—his mate and the Second Head of the pack, Miyako. Miyako was a full grown female; not as big as Tsubasa, but her head easily brushed Kazuki's shoulder. Her fur was a deep, rich brown, and unusual purple markings curved around her eyes, a feature she had passed on to her son. Even now she seemed to be soothing the large white wolf beside her, her tail gently touching his paws as they sat side-by-side, close enough that their shoulders touched. Himeko quietly shifted her gaze.

Kazuki, the Third Head and adopted brother of Tsubasa and Souma, sat on Tsubasa's other side; a full grown male, not as large as Tsubasa himself but certainly big enough to make a wolf look twice. His fur carried an unusual green-blue tint to it, and his golden eyes seemed to gleam with a wisdom far beyond his years. Of the Heads, he was said to be the calmest and most rational, though Reiko came in a close second.

The Fourth Head sat beside Kazuki; a slender brown she-wolf named Corona, not quite as dark as Miyako. A silver bracelet adorned each front paw, gleaming softly in the sunlight as she sat; it was she who had spoken before, her voice a legend among wolves, her howl and voice containing a musical lilt to it that was unique and unusual and completely hers. She appeared to only be a year older than Himeko herself was.

The Fifth Head sat on Corona's other side, also female—her name was Reiko. A reddish-brown female with unusual cream colored markings along her muzzle and legs, Reiko was something of a loner among the wolves and appeared to be at least two years Himeko's senior. She and Corona sat as close together as Tsubasa and Miyako did; briefly, Himeko recalled that the two she-wolves were unusually protective of each other and fiercely devoted to the other. She flicked an ear and decided not to judge.

Next to Reiko sat the Sixth Head, a young wolf that only appeared to be a yearling; Nekoko, a small, slightly chubby light brown female with humor gleaming in her golden eyes. Despite her puppy-like appearance and general good nature, Himeko knew that the young she-wolf had been the only survivor of the slaughter of the wolf pack that lived north of their border. To this day, she still couldn't clearly recall which hunter had destroyed her home and possessed a terrifying fear of humans.

The final Head sat beside Nekoko, the Seventh Head, Tsubasa's brother and Himeko's childhood playmate; Souma. For his age, the muscular black wolf was already quite big and surprisingly powerful. Rumor was that soon he would grow to be the same size as Tsubasa. The young she-wolf he had already chosen to be his mate was none other than Makoto, Himeko's cousin and best friend.

"Himeko." Tsubasa spoke, his voice so cold and deep that for a moment Himeko felt as though a winter wind had blown through her fur. "Two years old, your first successful kill was a sick moose calf. Daughter of Maya and Aki. Do you know why we've called you here?"

Himeko flicked her ear and blinked several times at the mention of her parents; she shook her head to clear it and looked up, forcing herself to meet Tsubasa's cool gaze. "No, First Head," she murmured. "I don't."

"I see. Fair enough." Was that… _humor _gleaming briefly in his good eye? "Himeko, are you aware that our pack lives in the very same forest that the Himemiya family built their mansion?"

"Yes."

"Tell me what you know about them."

She couldn't read the expression in his eye, and cast her gaze about nervously. Miyako's eyes seemed much warmer than her mate's, and Himeko knew her better than she knew Tsubasa; she often spoke to the older female whenever she watched over Jin. Feeling reassured, she spoke.

"The Himemiya family is one of the most well known wolf hunting clans in the world. They only settled here seventeen or sixteen years ago. Their only daughter, Chikane Himemiya, is the heir to the family and a rising wolf hunter. She killed her first wolf when she was twelve. It is rumored that she wiped out the pack on the northern border," the golden wolf concluded, and glanced guiltily at Nekoko, recalling her past. The other wolf just flicked an ear and looked away, but she gave Himeko a brief wolf smile.

Tsubasa's good eye gleamed briefly. "Very good," he rumbled. "You seem well informed. That's better than we could have hoped." He shifted his weight, settling more comfortably. "Now I ask you, Himeko… what do you know of the Eighth Head?"

The golden wolf's eyes widened; without thinking she sat up a bit straighter at the mention of the legendary she-wolf. "Not much," she admitted. "I know her name was Tsuki and that she was really only half wolf… she was black, with dark blue eyes, according to our elders." She took a deep breath. "Legend has it that she was raised as a human before she discovered the truth about herself, and she founded our pack here sixteen years ago." She lowered her ears. "That's about all I know, though."

The Eighth Head was a legend among wolves. She had founded Himeko's pack in the Himemiya family years before either she or her parents had been born and had been the wolf to establish the Heads system of leading. Most well known about her was that fact that she had actually been half wolf, and had possessed eyes that many elders claimed to be as dark blue as the night sky itself.

"A good amount, either way," the white wolf rumbled. "She was called the Eighth Head because she stepped down and chose to be eighth after establishing the leading system we now follow." His eye darkened. "She was killed by a wolf hunter."

Himeko looked up sharply, ears swiveling forward. "A… wolf hunter?" she asked uncertainly. "But First Head, I thought no one knew exactly how she died…"

"We don't." That was Miyako, picking up where her mate left off. "What we _do _know, however, is that when she died, a wolf hunter died at the same time. A young woman named Orihime Kannazuki. One of the best solo hunters to ever live." The dark brown she-wolf evenly met Himeko's gaze. "Doesn't it seem odd, Himeko, that these two powerful icons died at exactly the same time?"

"Y… yes…"

Kazuki glanced briefly at Miyako, who nodded. The male cleared his throat. "After they died," he said, "the world fell for a brief time into an age were peace reigned between humans and wolves. Then the Himemiya family came here." His golden eyes seemed to gaze directly into Himeko's soul. "Many elders believe that now, sixteen years after their deaths, another era of peace is coming to the world."

"That sounds… wonderful…" Himeko said uncertainly. "But… what does this have to do with me?"

"I'm getting to that." Kazuki flicked an ear in amusement. "You consider yourself intrigued by humans, don't you, Himeko?"

"Yes…" Himeko lowered her eyes and gazed at her paws, remembering with embarrassment how she'd wandered into town last night as a human. Makoto had had to carry her back to the pack because she'd held her form for too long.

Tsubasa waved his tail to silence Kazuki; the other male blinked in surprise but settled, resting back on his haunches. The white wolf turned his attention back to Himeko.

"We feel this time coming, Himeko. The problem, however, is that the Himemiya family continues to terrorize wolves." His single eye darkened so it was almost black. "We need a wolf to disguise herself as a human and mingle with them, keep an eye on them as the packs try to come to a conclusion of how to reach this time of peace. We've chosen you." He tilted his head quietly to the side as Himeko lifted her eyes, staring at him in shock. "Do you wish to carry out this mission?"

Her eyes widened; heat raced through her fur. "Why me?"

"Chikane Himemiya is the heir to the family, as you mentioned earlier. She is sixteen. In your human form, you are her age. Don't you think it would be nice for her to meet another girl the same age as her?"

The golden she-wolf swallowed hard, lowering her ears. _That actually sounds kind of cruel, _she thought weakly.

"If you don't, just say so." Reiko spoke, her voice soft. "We can always find another wolf." Tsubasa glared at the Fifth Head, but she ignored him; Corona nuzzled the other female's shoulder and glared at Tsubasa.

"N-no." Himeko swallowed again, gazing up at the heads. A strange feeling swept through her, an unusual thrill racing through her blood, making her muscles quiver. "I've always wanted to get closer to… to humans," she admitted. "I like them. And this might be the only chance I have. Plus…" She met Tsubasa's gaze. "I want peace just as much as any other wolf. If I can help bring it, then I'll do anything you ask."

Tsubasa smirked briefly at Reiko as triumph flashed in his eyes; the Fifth Head grumbled and looked away as the white wolf turned his attention back to Himeko.

"Well said, young one," he praised. "If you've decided to do this, then so be it." Miyako gently brushed his shoulder with her nose, and he fell silent so she could speak.

"Leave us now, Himeko," the dark brown wolf murmured. "Tomorrow we will make preparations for you to go into the human world, and you need rest. Besides…" Humor gleamed in Miyako's golden eyes. "… Jin has been asking for you."

Himeko perked up at the mention of the young pup; she bowed her head, the shell around her neck gleaming softly in the pale sunlight. "As you wish," she murmured. Slowly she stood, nodded briefly to the Heads, and padded out of the clearing.

She didn't look back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Whew... that was long.

I realize in the anime Tsubasa/Miyako is a one-sided ship, but as you can tell here it's definitely... mutual. There's a reason why Miyako's brother is never mentioned.

Corona's name annoyed me. I didn't know how to spell it. According to subs it's spelled "Korona" but when I looked it up it was spelled "Corona"! Ugh, confusing...

Read and review, please!


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: _Me no owny Kannazuki no Miko.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 3_

"Hey, Hime! My favorite little sister!"

That was all Himeko heard before she was tackled by a ball of reddish-brown fur; with a snorting laugh she rolled easily, batting at Makoto's ear as the other female chewed playfully on her neck. "I'm your _only _little sister," the golden wolf gasped, trying to control her giggles. "And I'm not even your _sister_!"

"Oh, hell, you just enjoy ruining my fun don't you?"

Himeko gave Makoto's ear one last swipe before sitting up. Makoto flopped on her side, resting her muzzle by Himeko's front paws; her fur was a unique dark brown, almost auburn color, with just a tint of red. As she tilted her head to gaze up at her, her golden eyes gleamed with good humor; Himeko felt a rush of affection for her cousin and lowered her head, gently licking the other female's muzzle. "How was your patrol?"

"Boring, as usual." Makoto yawned. "Most of the prey animals are asleep for the day, save perhaps a few rabbits and a couple deer. Even those are hard to come by." She rolled her eyes skyward. "The great and mighty Chikane Himemiya was riding through today with her personal maid in tow, and the noise was enough to send any animal running for cover." She narrowed her eyes and sighed. "I figure tonight's hunting is going to be hard."

"Now that I think about it, she's been out a lot recently hasn't she?"

"Yeah, and she's scaring the prey everywhere she goes. Tonight's going to be rough."

Makoto's cousin said nothing, gazing quietly at the rock wall. It seemed lately that Chikane Himemiya was going out for rides more and more often, almost as though she was patrolling. A shiver ran down her spine, and she shook her head. "We'll be able to find enough for the pups, won't we?"

"I'm sure we will." Makoto sat up, giving her chest a few quick licks to settle her ruffled fur. "They never eat much anyway." She flicked her ear briefly and sighed. "Still, it seems like that girl's just trying to make our life difficult."

"It's not like she knows we're here…"

Himeko muttered the sentence softly, gazing at her paws; Makoto sighed before gently bumping her shoulder with her nose.

"Hey," the reddish-brown female murmured. "Don't get soft with _her_of all humans, Himeko. You _know _who she is. She'd shoot you first and ask questions later."

"I know, but…"

"Human lover."

The affection in Makoto's words took the sting out of the gentle insult, and Himeko gave her a sheepish look. "Oh, by the way, Mako…" Her eyes gleamed. "Souma was looking for you."

Makoto's eyes lit up. "He was?"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_It was raining._

_The rain fell in silent silver sheets as she moved quickly through the dark trees, her trusted weapon gripped tightly in her hand. "Stay here, Sakura-chan," she ordered, flashing a quick glance at her best friend and only companion. "I thought I heard something up ahead."_

"_Are you sure it's okay to go by yourself?" The short-haired girl frowned, tightening her grip on the reins as their horses danced nervously from hoof to hoof. "There are wolves in this forest…"_

"_I know, but I definitely heard something that's not a wolf. Just stay with the horses. I'll be right back."_

_Sakura looked as though she would have liked to argue, but she slipped away before she could open her mouth, moving low and fast through the shadows. The rain dampened her clothes and made them cling to her skin, but she ignored the mild discomfort and plunged on. After a moment she glimpsed a clearing and paused in the shadows; her eyes widened in shock, and she just stared._

_A young pale-skinned woman sat in the clearing; her long, dark hair fell down her back and blood dripped from numerous cuts and slashes on her body. The clothes she wore were ripped and torn, and even from the distance the other woman could tell she was shivering._

_Then she looked over her shoulder. The woman's breath caught in her throat._

_Her eyes were blue, dark and deep like the sky itself; in the rain, she could just make out the gleam of a pale pink shell hanging around her neck._

_She couldn't just walk away._

_She was moving before she was even aware of it, tugging off her jacket and gently draping it along the other's shoulders as she knelt beside her; the dark-haired woman stiffened in surprise and jerked her head up, but slowly relaxed when she realized she wasn't being attacked. "Who are you?"_

_She sounded weak, the other woman thought grimly. How much blood had she lost? "My name's Kannazuki Orihime," she murmured. "Were you attacked by wolves?"_

_The other woman shrugged and looked at the grass. "You could say that." A small smirk curved her lips. "We had a difference of opinions."_

_Briefly Orihime wondered how a human and a wolf __**couldn't **__have a difference of opinions, but waved it aside. She gently touched the other woman's shoulder. "Let me take you back to camp," she said. "Those cuts need to be looked at."_

"_They aren't that bad."_

"_They'd feel better if you let me treat them."_

_For a moment she thought the blue-eyed stranger would protest; then she sighed and closed her eyes. "It won't make things worse," she decided at last, and let Orihime help her to her feet._

"_Do you have a name?" Orihime asked. "Unless you just want me to keep calling you 'you'." Humor gleamed briefly in her eyes, and the other woman chuckled._

"_Tsuki." She tilted her head back and gazed up at the moon, ignoring the rain that fell all around her. "My name is Tsuki."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko awoke with a jolt, blinking groggily and lifting her head as Makoto nipped her shoulder, drowsily muttering that Miyako wanted her. Slowly she stood, stretching leisurely as Souma slipped in and gently brushed noses with Makoto. _What an odd dream_, she mused. She'd certainly never had any like it.

_It didn't even feel like a dream… it felt more like a memory…_

Shaking her head and deciding to forget it, Himeko trotted out of the den and loped easily to where the Heads had summoned her the day before. It was still early; the sun was only just beginning to rise into the sky, gently lighting the dark sky above.

There were only three Heads present this morning; Miyako, Corona, and Reiko. Feeling slightly apprehensive, Himeko stepped into the clearing. "You, uh… you wanted me?"

"Yes." Sympathy and regret gleamed in Miyako's eyes. "I'm sorry, Himeko, but the plan is for me to bring you into town under the guise that you were attacked by wolves…"

She trailed off as understanding lit Himeko's eyes. A soft "Oh" escaped her. After a moment she slowly sat, wrapping her tail tightly around her paws and lifting her eyes to meet Miyako's gaze.

"Be quick about it?" Her voice was weak but held a trace of humor. "I'm not that good with pain."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Himeko?"

With a soft groan the golden she-wolf shifted; she felt a warm hand run through her fur, gently scratching her behind the ears. Dazed, aching and feeling the blood seep through her fur, she slowly opened her eyes, wincing as her vision spun and dimmed. "Ow," she rasped.

"I'm sorry. I really am." The hand lifted away, and Himeko slowly shifted her head to look—and stared.

Some part of her _knew _she was looking at Miyako, an instinct really, because she recognized the gleam in those golden eyes. But she had a hard time looking away. The Second Head's human form seemed to her just as regal as her wolf form; her skin was the same rich, dark brown of her fur, and the purple markings that she bore around her eyes as a wolf colored the hair that fell in a long ponytail down her back. Miyako adjusted her glasses and chuckled as Himeko continued to stare, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was.

"That's right, you've never seen my human form have you?" Humor gleamed in the older woman's eyes. "But I'm sure yours can live up to mine."

"_Miyako!" _

Had she been human, Himeko would be blushing right about now; Miyako laughed and waved her hand, turning away, struggling to maintain the dignity of the Second Head the young wolf knew so well. "Listen, I have to go get the horse from the stream; I left him there to drink so he'd be good to go when you woke up. Borrowed the fellow from a farmer who lives nearby. I'll come back, so don't move… you might just lose more blood and pass out again."

The older woman made her departure; shaking her head, Himeko slowly staggered to her paws, fighting another wave of dizziness and wincing as her bruised muscles screamed in protest. While Miyako, Corona, and Reiko hadn't succeeded in killing her, they'd certainly done a great deal of damage. She'd probably feel sore for another week, maybe two tops.

After a moment, she got down to the business of assuming her human form, closing her eyes. It was a bit harder while injured, and it definitely hurt more and took more concentration, but Himeko's patience was rewarded as she felt the familiar heat course through her veins, warm but not hot, almost like liquid sunlight.

"So you can still take on your form while injured," Miyako murmured as she returned, leading a black gelding by the reins. "That's very good for a pup your age, Himeko." This time, because she was capable of it, Himeko _did _blush. Her eyes, now a soft, clear purple in human form, lowered to the grass as she tucked a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear. A special bonus for assuming one's human form was that one took it on fully clothed; they just had to imagine the clothing as well. "Thanks," she whispered. "I've had a lot of practice."

"I'm sure."

Miyako's eyes gleamed good-naturedly, and she gripped the saddle and swung easily astride the horse, tugging the reins to turn the gelding so she could offer Himeko her hand. The younger wolf just stared for a moment, eyes filled with surprise. "You ride pretty well," she said uncertainly after a moment, taking Miyako's offered hand and letting the older wolf pull her on, sliding her free arm around her waist and letting Himeko lean back against her.

"I must have ridden a lot of horses in a past life."

Soothed, Himeko settled back against Miyako and closed her eyes, blowing out a long breath. Truth be told she was still in quite a bit of pain, and her clothing only accented it, carrying rips and tears were teeth and claws had ripped. Miyako's grip was firm, and Himeko knew she wouldn't mind if she slept for awhile.

So as Miyako clucked her tongue, gently digging her heels into the horse's side and urging him on, she did just that.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himemiya Chikane was… bored.

Completely, hopelessly bored.

It wasn't exactly her fault. There was only so many times a person could practice their aim with a bow and arrow; and if you kept hitting the target again and again, you were bound to lose interest in it.

Normally Chikane would have gone and asked her father what he wanted her to do next; God knew the man was a devoted wolf hunter, and determined that his daughter follow in his footsteps. But as circumstances would have it, both her parents were currently attending a town meeting and wouldn't be home until sundown at the very latest. The blue-haired girl sighed. _Oh well, _she thought ruefully.

A gentle knock on her door made her glance up. "It's open," she called; the door creaked open softly and she sat up a little straighter as her maid peeked in. "Otoha-san? Is something wrong?"

"Forgive me for this, Ojou-sama, but your presence has been requested by a young woman downstairs. There's another girl with her, about your age, and, well, according to the woman who brought her in she was attacked by wolves…"

Chikane's eyes slowly narrowed. "Is that so?"

"Yes… but Ojou-sama…"

"Yes?"

"That woman… she bears a striking resemblance to… Kinjo Miyako."

"… I'll be right down."

_This just got interesting._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Miyako watched with interest as Himemiya Chikane walked down the stairs. While it was a wolf custom to refer to humans using their first name (Chikane Himemiya instead of Himemiya Chikane, for example), it was all too easy for her to lapse back into a human mindset. "Himemiya Chikane, I presume," she said, dipping her head quietly in greeting.

"Kinjo Miyako." Chikane returned the gesture. "I'm surprised to see you. You all but vanished a few years ago, didn't you?"

"I had a change in lifestyles, Himemiya-san." Miyako paused to shift her grip on the still sleeping Himeko. "I found this girl unconscious in the woods. By her wounds, I'd guess she was attacked by wolves, maybe two or three by the look of it."

The girl switched focus instantly, stepping closer to survey the sleeping girl Miyako held in her arms. "Her name is Kurusugawa Himeko. She told me that before she passed out." Mentally she sent Himeko a small wake up call, causing the younger girl to shift in her arms and murmur sleepily. "That's all I know, I'm afraid. I figure you could take better care of her, being the resident wolf hunters of this area."

"We could." Chikane was already reaching for the other girl; smirking a little, Miyako gently deposited her sleeping cargo into the dark-haired girl's arms, feeling a brief surge of protectiveness as Himeko's warm weight left her.

From here on, the pup was on her own.

"I can't stay long." Miyako took a step back, wanting to make her escape as quietly as possible. She'd slipped back into the ways of a human more easily than she liked to think about, and wanted nothing more than to run back to the trees, to her mate and young pup back home. "I'm afraid my husband will be missing me."

"Husband?" Chikane tore her gaze from Himeko's face to look at the older woman. "Is that why you—"

"Good day, Himemiya-san."

And with that, Miyako was gone.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_That was odd…_

Sighing a little, Chikane shook her head and settled back in her chair, propping her chin in her hand and studying the sleeping girl that currently lay on her bed. "Kurusugawa Himeko, huh?" she murmured, sweeping her eyes over her. She frowned and leaned closer, studying the girl's wounds.

This was indeed odd. Miyako's prediction had been correct as far as Chikane could tell; Kurusugawa had been attacked by more than one wolf. But the placement of her wounds was unusual for an attack. While she certainly bore cuts and teeth marks along her arms, there was also blood along her sides and stomach, and a thin cut quite close to her throat. The wounds indicated that the wolves had been quite close to the girl—perhaps closer than they were supposed to be.

_I'll have to ask her about it when she wakes up, _the young wolf hunter decided, and without thinking reached out and brushed a loose strand of golden hair out of the other girl's closed eyes. A small jolt of warmth shot through her hand, and as she sat back she noticed a pale pink shell that lay against the girl's steadily rising and falling chest.

And then the girl's eyes opened. A small smile curved Chikane's lips.

"Good morning, Kurusugawa Himeko."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

At the sight of one of the most dangerous wolf hunters sitting right at her side, Himeko reacted the way any wolf would; she instinctively shot back with a startled yelp, but as she did so her hand plunged into thin air. Her eyes widened as she began to fall.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Her companion rushed forward, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back from the edge of the bed, her other arm sliding along her back as she held Himeko close protectively. "Easy," she soothed. "Don't move around so quickly yet. Your wounds have barely been bandaged."

"My…? Oh, yeah…"

Himeko winced, slowly pulling away from Chikane's arms. "Sorry," she whispered, blushing. "You just… you startled me." Her eyes uncertainly met Chikane's. "You're, um… you're Chikane Himemiya, aren't you?"

Chikane raised a brow at the unusual way of saying her name. "Yes. Though people usually call me Himemiya Chikane."

"Oh… oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't…"

Knowing that if the girl went on she'd start laughing, Chikane leaned forward and gently touched a finger to her lips to silence her; Himeko froze, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. "First of all," Chikane whispered, "don't apologize, it's not a big deal. You can call me whatever feels comfortable."

"Well… what do people usually call you?"

Chikane frowned, pulling her finger from Himeko's mouth. "Usually I'm just addressed as Miya-sama or Himemiya-san, depending on if it's the girls at school or friends of my parents…" She blinked at the confusion in Himeko's eyes. "What?"

"That sounds complicated…"

"Don't you…? Never mind, I'll just explain it. –Sama and –san are both terms of respect. It's a way you'd address someone of higher rank than you or someone you don't know that well."

Himeko appeared to mull this over, tilting her head back and gazing at the ceiling with a thoughtful frown; Chikane waited patiently, waiting to see what the other girl had to say. Finally, the golden-haired girl said, "What would you call someone as a friend? I mean…" She blushed for a third time. Chikane was actually keeping count. "We're kind of friends, right? Since we're the same age."

"Yeah, we are." The words left Chikane's mouth before she had time to think about them. "You'd use –chan for a girl, -kun for a boy."

"So… then I'd call you… Chikane-chan, right?"

For a moment, Chikane could have sworn her heart skipped a beat.

"Yes. You'd call me Chikane-chan."

Himeko repeated this softly a few times under her breath; she straightened slightly and grinned. "I like it!" she declared, then winced and touched her shoulder. _"Ow…"_

"Careful." Chikane leaned forward, gently covering Himeko's hand with her own. "We just cleaned your wounds and bandaged them. You got hurt pretty bad." She frowned. "What were you doing out in the forest alone anyway? Don't you know a wolf pack lives there?"

"I was just… trying to get home… and I thought I could beat the wolves before they came out to hunt…"

"You know when the hunt?"

"… I took a wild guess?"

Chikane sighed and shook her head. "Apparently that guess cost you," she muttered, pulling her hand away and rising. "I'll go ask Otoha-san to start a bath so you can get cleaned up… I'm sure you don't like the feeling of blood and dirt on you. Just stay there and rest." She started to walk away. A soft whimper escaped Himeko before she could stop it. "Wait, Chikane-chan," she called weakly.

The other girl paused at the door, looking over her shoulder. "Yes?"

"You'll… you'll come back, right? I mean… I won't be all alone here, will I?"

Chikane's eyes softened slightly. "Of course I'll come back, Himeko. I won't leave you alone if you don't want me to."

"Thank you…"

Chikane nodded briefly before slipping outside; Himeko couldn't help but notice that the girl had left the door open, so she could hear if the golden-haired girl called for her. Smiling tiredly, Himeko leaned back against her pillows and closed her eyes, sighing heavily.

"Chikane-chan, huh?" she murmured, running a hand through her hair. "I always imagined her being a bit… colder."

Briefly she glanced at the clock. She'd only been in her human form for a few hours, but she was still wary. This was her first time as a human while injured, and she didn't know how long she could last before her body started feeling the effects.

_Which brings up an interesting question… _Himeko's smile slowly faded.

_If I don't want to be alone, how will I get away from Chikane-chan to become a wolf again?_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

God... between introducing Makoto, getting in a bit about Orihime and Tsuki, foreshadowing a bit to Miyako's past, and getting Himeko and Chikane to meet for the first time... this chapter turned out hella long. But maybe that's a good thing...?

The Tsuki/Orihime bit is left open to interpretation... but after some thinking, I definitely know where I want to go with it. Fun fun fun.

Read and review, please!


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Kannazuki no Miko. I just own my OC, Rakuen, who is introduced in this chapter.

_Author's Note: _Well... I am officially addicted to this fic. Damn. I need to update my other stuff so badly...

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 4_

Himeko's experience with bathing was short and sweet—cold river water, splashing and wrestling with Souma and Makoto, coming out with her fur dripping wet and her eyes glowing. Now that she actually thought about it, Himeko had to admit that the experience was less about _bathing _and more about _playing in the water_. Sure, she probably ended up getting clean, but that wasn't the main intention. Heck, she'd seen Miyako and Tsubasa wrestling in the stream plenty of times, and even Corona had managed to tempt the usually quiet and reserved Reiko into racing through the water like a puppy.

… Yeah, it probably wasn't _bathing_, but it had still been fun and she had bonded with her pack mates, and that had to count for _something._

The human idea of bathing, though, was entirely different.

For one thing, they didn't jump around in streams with water as cold as ice—no, they bathed in large _pools _full of warm, steamy water that supposedly soothed your muscles and made you relax. They used weird things like soap and shampoo for their hair (they actually kind of smelled nice in Himeko's opinion, but she still had a hard time figuring out how to use them. Especially when she got soap in her eyes.), and after that they dried off with towels.

It really, _really _didn't help that there were maids there to help. Himeko knew it was part of the Himemiya name, having maids attend to her, but it didn't make her any more comfortable with it.

Thankfully, Chikane kept true to her promise and never once left Himeko's side unless she requested it. The golden-haired girl never requested this either; mostly because it was her duty to keep an eye on the other girl, but also because deep down, Chikane Himemiya (or was the proper way of saying it Himemiya Chikane?) intrigued her.

The dark-haired girl certainly didn't look like a killer, at least not the kind many wolves claimed her to be. She was tall and slim, seeming almost delicate enough to shatter at the lightest touch. Her hands, when they had occasionally brushed Himeko's, felt soft and were surprisingly pale and small.

Himeko knew it was foolish to judge a wolf hunter by her appearance alone—many wolves had died by that way of thinking—but she couldn't help it. Chikane didn't look anything like the hunter Himeko had imagined her to be, and the girl seemed to hold no particular hatred for wolves. If anything, she seemed to view her skill as a job, and one she did particularly well.

Himeko sighed.

_It's not supposed to be this hard._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes." Himeko gave a tired smile. "Really, Chikane-chan, I feel much better now. I just want to rest a bit. I'm feeling a little sore."

"If you want, I can—"

"I just need to sleep."

Chikane sighed, giving up. "Very well," she said. "I'll ask the others to make sure no one disturbs you." She frowned. "But I do have a question for you."

"Oh?" Himeko felt her back stiffen.

"Your wounds. When I looked at them, they were… placed very oddly for a wolf attack. Usually when someone is attacked by wolves their arms take a majority of the damage, since they're trying to protect their throat and face. Your wounds seemed evenly spaced out all along your body. So I'm just wondering, did you _throw _yourself at these wolves and just _ask _them to attack you?"

The wolf in disguise didn't like the gleam in Chikane's eyes. The young hunter obviously knew her facts and knew them well, or she wouldn't have noticed how odd the placement of the wounds were. Mentally she cursed, closing her eyes.

_Think of something, think of something…_

"I, um…" She stumbled over her words. "I don't… I don't really remember what happened, Chikane-chan." She gave the other girl a worried look before lowering her eyes, doing her best to appear ashamed of this fact. "I was just walking home, then I heard howling, and when I woke up I was here."

It was obvious Chikane still wasn't satisfied, but the look in Himeko's eyes—a mixture of guilt and sorrow—made her sigh and back off. "All right," she relented. "I'm sorry. It's just my training. I have a bad habit of asking questions when something seems off."

"It's okay." Himeko gave a mental sigh of relief. "You're just trying to help, Chikane-chan. I'm sorry I can't tell you anything else. Maybe I'll remember…"

For a long moment, Chikane studied her.

"Yes," the other girl said at last, turning away. "Maybe you will."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_It had stopped raining by the time Orihime and the mysterious woman known as Tsuki made it to the cave Sakura had chosen as shelter for the night; Orihime had only to follow the hoof prints of the horses to find it, and as they stepped into the cave she motioned for Tsuki to sit down as she made her way to where Sakura sat, huddled by the fire and trying to keep warm._

"_Who's she?" Sakura's eyes gleamed with curiosity as Tsuki quietly sat where Orihime had indicated._

"_Her name's Tsuki." Orihime burrowed through the bag, trying to find the first aid kite. "Apparently she had a 'differences of opinions' with wolves."_

_The short-haired girl snorted, raising a brow. "She actually said that?"_

"_Word for word." Finding what she needed, Orihime stood. "I brought her back to clean her up a bit."_

"_Looks like she got lucky. Just a few cuts."_

_Orihime nodded briefly before returning to Tsuki; the dark-haired young woman barely stirred as the wolf hunter sat next to her, gently gripping the shoulders of her clothing and beginning to slide it off. "I need to see how bad your wounds are," she murmured._

"_Do what you must."_

_The other woman's tone was almost bored, but when Orihime looked at her, slightly surprised, she couldn't miss that Tsuki was studying her intently, her dark blue eyes gleaming dimly in the firelight. Feeling heat rush into her face for some odd reason, Orihime set own Tsuki's robe and set to the business of tending to Tsuki's wounds._

_One particularly deep, nasty wound slashed along the back of her neck, near the clasp of the pendant she wore; Orihime hesitated only a moment before lifting her hands with the intention of unclasping the necklace. The next instant Tsuki's hand settled over hers, and the woman had met her eyes again. "Don't," she whispered._

"_I need to take it off to clean your wound properly." Orihime was suddenly having a hard time breathing. "You must understand."_

"_Don't," Tsuki repeated, her voice pleading; it was the first drop of emotion Orihime had heard in the woman's voice. "Please. It's all I have left of my mother."_

_The woman sounded shaken by the thought of parting with the pendant, and with a sigh Orihime lifted her hands away._

"_Thank you."_

"_You're welcome… Tsuki-chan."_

_Tsuki blinked at the term of friendship, looking at Orihime with surprise evident in her eyes. Orihime gave her a weak smile before turning her attention back to her wounds. Tsuki continued watching the light-haired woman intently, but a small smile had curved her lips._

_By the fire, Sakura snickered. By the heavens above, she had never seen Orihime so flustered before._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_Himeko."_

The voice sounded weakly in Himeko's head, fuzzy and distorted; the girl groaned and shifted, rubbing her eyes, but the voice persisted. _"Himeko," _the voice persisted, soft and firm. _"Himeko."_

She sat up, wincing, and her eyes widened with recognition. _"Reiko?" _she called, stretching her mental connection to find the female, unknowingly mouthing the Fifth Head's name. _"Reiko, is that you?"_

"_No, it's the Priestess of the Moon," _Reiko snapped. _"Of course it's me, you dummy. Why haven't you contacted us yet? Makoto and Souma are wild with worry."_

"_Sorry." _Himeko winced; the older wolf sounded mad. _"I didn't know I could talk to you like this."_

Reiko's sigh echoed in her head like a breeze. _"Have you forgotten that wolves speak telepathically, Himeko? You don't lose that ability, even as a human."_

"_Sorry," _the younger wolf repeated weakly. _"I'm really sorry, Reiko."_

Another sigh, but Himeko knew Reiko wasn't mad at her anymore; the sharpness in her tone had come from the fact that no contact had been established and not knowing what was going on. As an image of the rust-colored she-wolf formed in Himeko's mind, she saw the female flick her ear briefly in amusement. _"Don't apologize," _she rumbled, and there was a light note of amusement in her voice now. _"You know now, so don't make the same mistake twice. How is your mission going so far?"_

"_Good so far." _Himeko tucked a strand of loose blonde hair back behind her ear, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. _"Chikane doesn't seem to suspect anything, though she asked a few questions about my wounds. I don't think she's totally satisfied with what I told her, but she's dropped it for now."_

"_I'm afraid that's our fault." _Reiko closed her eyes in Himeko's image of her. _"It wasn't until after we inflicted our wounds and you passed out that we realized that they would imply that you had been much closer to wolves than humans were supposed to be. Forgive us."_

"_It's okay, I don't blame you! Really! I just have to make up some stuff…"_

Reiko's soft laughter rang in her mind, and Himeko couldn't fight the blush that darkened her cheeks.

"_If you say so, young one." _Humor gleamed in her eyes. _"Just remember to be on your guard. Chikane Himemiya is a wolf hunter, and will dive for the smallest weakness if you give it to her."_

"_I will, Reiko."_

"_You do that, then." _The she-wolf nodded. _"Just thought I'd check in on you and soothe Makoto and Souma a bit."_

Himeko winced. _"Can you tell them I'm sorry? I forgot that I never got to say goodbye to them."_

"_Will do."_

Himeko jolted a bit as her image of Reiko began to fade; she realized that the she-wolf was severing the connection between them, breaking the line so that she could return to the forest. She bit her lip, hesitated, then softly called, _"Reiko?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I know this seems… kind of stupid, but… when Miyako took me to the mansion, she really handled the horse well." _She hesitated before plunging on. _"Do you know why? I mean, she's a wolf, she shouldn't know how to ride so well… right?"_

A long, awkward stretch of silence.

"_Reiko, I…"_

"_It's not my place to say anything, Himeko." _Reiko's voice was surprisingly weary. _"Miyako's past is her business. Even if I did know anything about her, I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry."_

"_It's okay… it was stupid of me to ask." _Himeko smiled weakly. _"Reiko?"_

"_Hmmm?" _Her form was fading, becoming harder and harder to see.

"_Could you… could you tell Corona I say hi, too? I know she was upset about having to hurt me, and I think she'd like to know that I'm okay." _Himeko paused. _"I mean, I'm asking you since you seem really close to her, like good friends…"_

"_We aren't friends." _Reiko's eyes gleamed. _"I love her. I'll tell her what I said. I'm sure she'll be relieved to hear it."_

Briefly, Himeko's smile widened. So Reiko and Corona were mates, after all.

"_Thank you, Reiko."_

The rust-colored female waved her tail briefly before vanishing completely.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Quietly thanking the moon above that the rain had ceased falling, Tsuki slowly sat up, moving silently. The blanket slid off her as she stood, making her way like a shadow to the mouth of the cave. Briefly she paused, glancing back at the sleeping forms of Orihime and Sakura. Her lips twitched briefly._

"_Thank you, Orihime." She rubbed the shell between her fingers as she turned away. "I won't forget this."_

_A flash of gold made her look up; she chuckled and waved slightly as the large golden-furred male emerged from the trees, a large male wolf with golden eyes that regarded her tiredly._

"_Tsuki," he growled softly. "What happened? You've been missing for hours. Did Tsume try and go after you again?"_

"_When does he never try?" With a grin, Tsuki sped toward her old friend; in a heartbeat she had transformed from a dark-haired woman to a small, slim black wolf, her dark blue eyes gleaming as she touched noses with her childhood playmate, two years her senior. "He's quite intent on killing me, I'm afraid. Just doesn't see my way of things."_

_The golden male chuckled, but his eyes were uncertain as he brushed his muzzle along her neck. "Don't joke about it," he murmured. "I hate the way he does this to you, only because you're half wolf and because of how you were raised."_

"_That's enough, Rakuen." She bumped his shoulder. "It's not your problem to worry about, you gentle giant. Let me worry about Tsume. He's my brother after all, and his pack hunts in the same territory as mine." Her eyes gleamed. "As long as he just goes after me and not you or anyone else I love, I can handle him."_

_Rakuen snorted. "You sound so casual about it." He puffed out his chest slightly. "And besides, even if Tsume came after me, I'd just rip him apart."_

"_Right, sure, keep telling yourself that…"_

_They both laughed softly; Rakuen brushed her shoulder briefly with his tail as he turned away. "We must go," he said. "The other Heads are asking for you."_

_Tsuki sighed but nodded; but before she followed Rakuen into the shadows of the trees, she paused for a moment, gazing back at the cave as her eyes sought out the sleeping form of one Kannazuki Orihime._

"_Tsuki-chan, huh…?"_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko never regretted taking that short nap, because as Fate would have it she didn't get much sleep that night. She'd accepted the inevitable fact that she would not be able to slip away and drop her human form for a few hours, or even a few minutes, and instead resigned herself to the fact that she was going to be in a world of hurt when nightfall came.

"World of hurt" did not even begin to describe it.

Truth be told, Himeko had never experienced the full abuse of her transformed body because she'd always been able to slip back into the safety of the trees. True, she had felt the tell-tale tingling, had begun to shiver even as her skin heated, but she had always returned to her true self before it escalated.

Gritting her teeth to keep from crying out, the golden-haired girl pulled her knees up to her chest and crunched into a ball. Her whole body was shaking as though someone had abandoned her in the middle of a blizzard, though her skin heated like fire and itched as though ants were crawling all over it. Her stomach had decided to churn like a stormy sea, though thankfully she hadn't eaten much so there was really nothing to come back up. She bit her bottom lip to keep from whimpering, ignoring the taste of blood as it filled her mouth.

She was rapidly losing the battle for self-control, but she knew nights were the hardest for wolves. The next day would certainly be uncomfortable, but if she succeeded in holding her form tonight it wouldn't be half as bad as this.

Growling softly, Himeko lifted her hand, ignoring the bandage, and bit down on it to muffle her choked sobs and pained gasps, squeezing her eyes shut as tears welled and began to streak her cheeks.

Her entire mission depended on this. The whole pack was depending on her.

_All of them… Makoto, who took me in and who has always protected me… Souma, who always finds a way to make me laugh… the Heads, who trust me enough to give me this mission… Jin, who's still too young to die yet…_

She slowly opened her eyes and blew out a shaky breath.

She wouldn't let them down. She _refused _to let them down.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Standing just outside Himeko's door, Chikane was having her own battle of wills.

She'd known something was wrong as soon as she'd passed the other girl's door, heading for her room, and heard the noises within, muffled by the door. Nudging it open just a bit had given her an eyeful of the other girl, hunched over and obviously in a great deal of pain. The sight was enough to make Chikane wince in sympathy, and she wanted nothing more than to go and soothe Himeko.

But she didn't dare move. If Himeko had wanted her there, she would have called her. It was obvious that whatever she was going through right now, she intended to go through it alone. Beneath the soft voice and gentle eyes lay a will of steel and determination so thick you could cut it with a knife.

For a moment Chikane hovered; her hand rested against the door, she almost pushed it open, she almost stepped inside—

Then Himeko lifted her hand, biting into it to keep her pain silent.

_She wants to be alone, _a voice murmured softly in Chikane's subconscious. _Leave her be, at least for now._

Despite the logic behind it, Chikane still wanted to go to her.

"… Dammit."

Gritting her teeth, Himemiya Chikane did the most painful thing she could ever recall doing; she turned, squared her shoulders, and walked away from Himeko.

She knew deep down that it was the right thing to do, but she still had a hard time believing it, and tossed and turned restlessly all night long as though she could feel the other girl's pain.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

... God DAMN that was long! (fans self) Once I started writing, I just couldn't stop. I especially wanted to introduce Rakuen; he's an important character in the Tsuki/Orihime backstory.

Read and review, please!


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: _I don't Kannazuki no Miko, yadda yadda yadda, other legal blabbery...

_Author's Note: _This story was inspired by _Tsuyazakura Kouyuki_. Check out his fanfics sometime, they're awesome as hell.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 5_

"It's getting quite late," Otoha observed, glancing at the clock as Chikane dressed; the morning was quickly slipping away, and Himeko still hadn't stirred from sleep yet. Even if there was no school today, it was something that itched at the blonde maid that someone could sleep in like that. "Should I go wake her?"

"No, leave her be." Chikane glanced briefly at the other woman. "She had a rough time last night. She was in pain, and I don't think she actually fell asleep until the sun started to rise."

The only reason Chikane herself knew this fact was because after hours of tossing restlessly and drifting in and out of slumber, she'd finally given in and gone to check on Himeko one more time. By then the sun had started to streak the dark night sky with gentle reds and purples, and glancing in through the crack of the door had confirmed that the other girl had finally fallen asleep; curled up in a tight ball with her back to the door, the hand she'd bitten cradled close to her chest.

"She was in pain?" Otoha frowned. "Why didn't she call anyone?"

"I think she wanted to go through it alone. I think she didn't want to be a burden."

Otoha seemed to mull this over for a moment. "From her wounds?" she asked at last, her frown deepening. "That's odd, though. We cleaned and bandaged them yesterday; they shouldn't hurt her that much."

Chikane opened her mouth to reply, then slowly closed it wordlessly as what Otoha said hit her full on. She frowned, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully.

It was true that Himeko had sustained quite a number of cuts and bruises, ignoring the odd placement of them. Despite that, though, the Himemiya maids were quite skilled at handling wolf wounds and had always made sure their patient suffered no discomfort after being treated. Himeko would certainly feel sore—that much was a given—but she shouldn't have been in as much pain as she appeared last night.

_So then… if it wasn't her wounds… what caused her such pain? It doesn't make any sense…_

"Ojou-sama?"

Otoha's soft voice, laced with confusion and concern, jolted Chikane out of her reverie; the dark blonde maid was by her side now, her hand resting on her arm. The gentle, uncertain contact was enough to make Chikane force a weak smile. "I'm fine," she assured her old time companion. "Just thinking, I guess."

"You seem to be doing that a lot lately since Kurusugawa-san came here. Is something about her bothering you?"

_Bothering me?_

Chikane laughed softly.

"Bothering" didn't even begin to describe her thoughts on the girl that was currently asleep, blissfully unaware of the young wolf hunter's turmoil. Something was _different _about Kurusugawa Himeko, something that nagged at the corner of Chikane's mind, refusing to let her ignore its presence.

She wasn't sure yet if it was the girl herself, or the odd feeling of protectiveness she felt every time she was around her.

Chikane could feel a headache coming on.

At the very least Himeko could stay here until she found a way to contact her family again. Maybe by then, Chikane would at least be used to her presence.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Although Rakuen was the larger of the two wolves and had longer legs, Tsuki kept pace with him easily as they sped through the dark night forest. Some part of her knew deep down that the golden male could easily run much faster—he was just slowing his pace for her. It annoyed her to no end, and with a soft growl she put on a burst of speed and nearly passed her running companion._

"_Hey!" he barked indignantly, but slanting a look at him Tsuki saw good humor in his eyes before he sped up to catch her. She snarled playfully and snapped at his neck to try and distract him, and before either of them knew it their trek home had evolved into a full out race and wrestling match._

"_Ack! Okay, okay! I give, I give!" Tsuki finally yelped when Rakuen successfully tripped her and managed to pin her dark, thrashing body beneath his; with a soft snicker the large wolf slid off her, flopping at her side as they both panted for breath. Content at the moment, Tsuki turned and buried her muzzle in Rakuen's fur._

"_Your wounds look good," the male rumbled, lifting his head to sniff the back of her neck. "Did someone take pity on you again and bandage you up?"_

"_Kannazuki Orihime."_

_He blinked in surprise. "That lone wolf hunter?"_

"_Yeah, her. Not what I expected her to be. Quiet and soft-spoken, for a wolf hunter."_

"_That so?"_

"_Hmmm. But my presence seemed to rattle her a bit. I can't figure why."_

_Rakuen said nothing, just rested his head on his paws. "The Heads were talking while you were gone."_

"_Oh?" Intrigued, Tsuki lifted her head._

"_Yes. They're worried about you, Tsuki."_

"_Me?" Confusion lit her dark blue eyes, and she shifted her body. "What do you mean?"_

"_You've done a lot of good for wolves, Tsuki… everyone's willing to admit it except your brother…"_

"_My brother takes more after my father, so I've heard. His hatred for humans still runs blood deep."_

"_Indeed. But you're fighting to try and establish some kind of peace between humans and wolves; you know it's important."_

"_I only seek peace because I know both worlds." Tsuki slowly sat up, flicking her ear. "I grew up human, Rakuen, you know that as well as anyone."_

"_But you chose to become wolf and shape this pack," Rakuen insisted, sitting up beside her. "Even though it put you at odds with Tsume, your brother…"_

_Tsuki growled, her eyes narrowing and her ears flattening as the fur along her back and shoulders bristled. "He isn't my brother," she snarled. "The only reason I haven't killed him myself yet is because my father asked me to try and get through his fool skull before he kills his entire pack. If it weren't for that I'd have ripped his throat out years ago." She looked away. "You know what he did to my family. The one that raised me."_

_Rakuen let the silence hang between them, letting the black half wolf regain her composure; finally she looked up at him. "So what did the Heads say?" she asked at last, her voice ragged. Rakuen gave her ear a comforting lick before continuing._

"_As I said before, they're worried. You've been going off on your own more and more, drawing out one-on-one fights with Tsume. They're afraid that you'll eventually kill yourself."_

"_Darn, you mean they finally figured out I'm trying to commit suicide? Geniuses." _

_Rakuen chuckled, but sobered quickly. "My point is, they're beginning to talk about the possibility that you… should… continue your, uh… your bloodline… before you die…"_

_It only took Tsuki a moment to figure out exactly what Rakuen was saying. She sighed. "You mean, basically, they want me to have pups." She looked up at the moon, shaking her head with a soft laugh. "I can't say I didn't expect this."_

"_You know they hope that any pups you have would bear your love for peace…"_

"_And they don't consider the fact that my pups might be like Tsume? We share the same father; his lust for human blood runs through both our veins."_

_Rakuen had nothing to say to this; he flicked an ear and lowered his eyes. Tsuki sighed again, standing and stretching. "Let them hope," she murmured. "I'll have pups when the time feels right." She glanced briefly at Rakuen, brushing his shoulder with her tail so he would stand as well. "And I'll choose the father, so they won't turn out like me and Tsume."_

"_Tsuki, you aren't like him."_

_For a moment the black half wolf thought of Kannazuki Orihime, and how she'd heeded her plea not to unclasp the necklace her mother had given her._

"_You don't know that."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko didn't know whether to be relieved or embarrassed when she woke up to discover that she'd slept in extremely late, even by human standards. As she sat up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she winced. "Ow," she murmured weakly, shivering a little.

She was still sore—much more so than she'd been the day before—but the pain had receded to something a little more comfortable. It wasn't entirely gone, but around late night it had finally started to fade, and she had dozed off just as the sun began to rise into the sky. Today it was just a dull ache, steadily pounding throughout her bones but she could still move—albeit slowly.

But she had survived her first night, and she was still human.

_Score for me, _she thought, feeling unusually giddy. She knew it was a small victory, not really meaning much of anything in the way of interactions between humans and wolves, but it was a personal win for her and meant something.

Her ears perked up as piano music filtered down the hallway; curiosity roused, Himeko quickly dressed before she peeked into the hallway. A quick glance around confirmed that no one was currently present, and she followed the music to one of the main rooms, pausing in the doorway.

Chikane sat at the piano, her eyes closed and her fingers moving like lightning over the keys as she played, seeming unaware of what she was doing. She knew it was rude to stare, but Himeko found it impossible to look away; the music the dark-haired girl was akin to the songs the disguised she-wolf had often howled at night with her pack mates, not quite the same but just as haunting, just as beautiful.

Listening intently to the tune, Himeko didn't actually realize it had stopped until Chikane quietly cleared her throat; heat rushed into the golden-haired girl's cheeks, despite the small smile on Chikane's face. "I'm sorry, Chikane-chan! I didn't mean to stare, it's just…"

"It's all right. I'm glad you enjoyed it." Chikane leaned back, lifting her hands from the keys. "You look better. Your wounds aren't bothering you anymore?"

Somehow the question seemed to carry a double meaning, and Himeko took a moment to mull over her response before she spoke again, feeling wary and uneasy. "Not much," she said. "They still hurt a little, but it's nothing I'm not used to."

"That's good. You had a rough time last night… I was worried about you."

"… The first night is always the hardest, or so I've heard."

It was a mental game of cat and mouse as wolf and wolf hunter danced around each other, perhaps occasionally hinting at the truth, moving closer only to jerk away at the last moment before any contact was made. It was enough to make Himeko's skin prickle like it had the night before, but this was less itchy and—much, much more enjoyable.

_By the moon, am I actually __**enjoying**__ this game of wills?_

Himeko was jolted out of her thoughts as Chikane rose, brushing off her pants—idly the wolf noted she was wearing a blouse and jeans today, nothing fancy—and stepping toward her.

"My parents haven't come home yet, so I'm afraid you won't meet them until later," Chikane began. "Usually I go into town with them or Otoha-san, but Otoha-san is busy in the kitchen training a new maid. And I figure you probably need to learn your way around if you'll be here awhile." She gave a smile that was both guarded and friendly. "Care to join me?"

She had nothing to lose, and she needed to learn everything she could about this small town while she was there. Himeko nodded.

"I'd love to."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_It didn't take Orihime very long to notice that she and Sakura were now being followed._

_About a week or so after she'd treated the mysterious woman named Tsuki, a large black dog had started trailing the horses at a respectful distance. The black animal was too large to be considered a dog, and yet also too small to be considered a wolf. For the first few days the creature trailed the two hunters at a respectable distance, but as time passed the animal gradually inched closer and closer to them._

_By the size alone Orihime judged the animal to be half wolf, and female by her build; despite the knowledge, though, she made no effort to chase the dog away. She was a friendly animal, and the horses didn't seem to mind her presence. By the time she'd been with them a week, she could walk side by side with Orihime's horse._

_It didn't escape Orihime's attention that the dog seemed to crave her presence; she certainly let Sakura pet her and feed her, but Orihime was the one she constantly sought, sometimes curling up by her feet at night and sleeping there. The dog's fascination with her was odd, but she didn't mind it. She liked the black animal, for what it was worth, and her fur was warm and soft._

_At the beginning of the second week, the dog continued to walk alongside Orihime's horse as if she belonged no where else. Idly, Orihime noted her eyes were a shockingly dark blue color._

_Around mid-day, when she and Sakura stopped the horses for food and water, she noticed a pink shell pendant hung around the black dog's neck._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

I realize I've written quite a few flashbacks, but the story of Orihime and Tsuki is, unfortunately, long and complicated... paticularly with Rakuen, Tsuki's childhood friend. Sometimes I wonder what you guys think of him... (laughs)

Read and review, please!


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Kannazuki no Miko; I just own Jin and Rakuen.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 6_

_Hey, Chikane-chan. _

_Do you remember that day? The day you asked me to go into town with you? _

_I do._

_It was my first time going into town during the day; as we walked from your mansion, following the path, you told me it was called Mahoroba, and you said that time passed slowly there. I was such a pup back then; I thought what you said was beautiful and never stopped to think about what it meant._

_Back then, for me, time did pass slowly. I was young, I had nothing to really worry about. I was only two by wolf standards, sixteen by human standards. The only life I had ever known was a life of sunlight and happiness, waiting for the moment when I fell in love like Mako did with Souma._

_So far, the only love I'd known in my short life was sweet and warm, like basking in the sunlight and dozing as it warms your fur, calm and peaceful. I didn't know yet that love could be painful and sharp, could take your breath away and leave you gasping._

_I was about to find that out._

_Hey, Chikane-chan._

_Do you remember the night when time sped up?_

_I do._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The only time Himeko had ever gone into town had been at night, usually after her pack mates were asleep (Makoto was a light sleeper, and usually stirred after she left; she habitually trailed Himeko from a safe distance to make sure she didn't get in trouble.) and under the ticking clock of her transformation.

(Of course, once she reached that limit, it was usually up to Makoto to give her a piggy-back ride into the trees, and thankfully Makoto was strong as both a wolf and a human.)

As a result, her idea of what Mahoroba looked like was slightly different from normal, and while she'd certainly wandered through it under the darkness of night she'd never strayed far before her body started to remind her that it was reaching its limit. But today was a new day, and she'd successfully held her human form overnight, lengthening her grace period before she had to drop her human skin and once more assume the fur and muscle of a wolf.

Mahoroba was a small place, but the street was full of life and it wasn't unusual to be bustled and jostled from side to side as one walked. Needless to say it was a wholly new experience to Himeko, who had only visited at night when not many people were out, and instinct had her latching on to the nearest person she knew when her eyes failed to spot the auburn hair of Makoto.

Chikane didn't seem to mind, only jolting slightly in surprise when Himeko timidly slipped her hand into the dark-haired girl's, but as though she sensed the other's nervousness she just tilted her head to look down at her and smiled quietly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before continuing. From the safety of her side, Himeko observed.

Very rarely did wolves ever leave the trees to walk among humans, and the ones who did usually were extremely confident in their ability to maintain their human form and act normal. Acting the part of a human was essential to a wolf's survival. While sneaking away from the pack at night was probably not the best way to learn how to interact with humans, it was better than no experience at all.

And if it counted for anything, Chikane's hand was warm and her grip was firm but gentle.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_It was strange, holding Chikane-chan's hand like that. I did it without thinking, really, but she didn't seem to mind._

_Wolves are by nature very touchy-feely. When we're among our pack mates, we're constantly nuzzling and licking each other. From birth we nip and nuzzle with our siblings until it becomes instinct, and this often carries over to our human form. It's not like we mean to do it; it's just the way we are._

_Unfortunately, when you're used to being intimate with your pack mates as a wolf, it carries over as a human; and human shows of affection are very different from wolves. In a pack, every wolf knows each other; it's impossible not to, since as soon as a pup leaves the den each wolf becomes a part of their life. But humans don't know each other as well._

_I'd only known Chikane-chan for, at most, perhaps a day or so; but wolf instinct had me reaching for her, reaching for her hand, some sign of physical contact, and I didn't stop to think about what she'd say to it. To me, touching was as natural as breathing, and I'd never stopped to consider that she didn't think the same way._

_After all, she was human._

_But to my shock, she didn't seem to mind at all. Oh, sure, she was startled, but she didn't push my hand away or ask me to let go. Back then she didn't know what I was or what it meant when I reached for her, but she did seem to understand that I needed comfort._

_I suppose she assumed it was just the way I was raised._

_Sometimes I wonder… would that night…_

_Would it all have hurt less if she'd pushed me away when I first reached for her?_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko was content to be led—it worked well with her guise as a newcomer to town, and it made it easier for her to hang back and take everything in. Chikane didn't talk much unless Himeko started the conversation, but her presence was calm and soothing. The golden-haired girl looked around, charmed. "A lot of people live here, don't they?"

Chikane laughed. "I wouldn't say that. It's just crowded."

"So… it's a small town?"

"Incredibly small." She grinned. "But unarguably lively. I don't think I've ever had a dull moment here."

The affection in her tone as she spoke of the place she'd grown up sounded similar to whenever Himeko had spoken to wolves from other packs, telling them about the forest she'd grown up in, the times she spent wrestling in the grass and racing among the trees with Makoto and Souma. "You love it here," she murmured, glancing at the taller girl.

Her blue eyes gleamed with amusement. "Don't you love the place where you grew up?"

It was a simple question, not one that required any extra thought or pause; but as she opened her mouth, Himeko still couldn't help but think of the trees and grass, of the streams, of playing and sleeping with Souma and Makoto, watching over Jin, laughing softly as Corona or Miyako gently coaxed their mates into playing, no matter how nonchalant Reiko acted or how much Tsubasa grumbled.

As she gazed into Chikane's eyes, sparkling with laughter, she couldn't help but wonder why _she _was the one who held all the power to rip her pack and everything she'd ever known apart.

"Yes." She smiled. "I love the place where I grew up very much."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"I need to go in here alone." Chikane studied the short, squat brown building with suddenly narrow eyes. Tension had seeped into her body in such a way that Himeko couldn't miss it even if she tried. "Chikane-chan?" she asked uncertainly.

"Just… wait here, okay?" She gave Himeko's hand another squeeze before quietly letting go. "I don't think this is the kind of place you'd like to go in… but my father asked me to stop by."

Her father was a wolf hunter; the head of the Himemiya family, Himeko recalled, and felt a chill sweep through her blood. "Oh. Okay." She forced the smile anyway, praying it didn't appear shaky. "Take your time."

Chikane seemed assured by the quiet words, and with a quick dip of her head left Himeko's side to enter the building; as the door opened Himeko caught a brief whiff of what she suspected to be coffee and the faded scent of wolf's blood. She wrinkled her nose and looked away as the door swung shut. Her control wavered dangerously and she gritted her teeth, forcing her rebellious body back in check.

Her wolf instinct screamed at her to attack or retreat, but she beat it back fiercely and focused on her breathing. Eventually her heartbeat slowed, the heat drained from her face, and her human conscious established itself over the wolf within.

She always was and always would be, first and foremost, a wolf. But right now, she had to think like a human.

With a sigh, Himeko rocked back on her heels. Maybe she should wander around a bit more; Chikane hadn't told her to stay in one place, after all.

As she turned away, she could have sworn she caught a whiff of a familiar scent and frowned, turning, inhaling deeply. The scent came to her again, slightly stronger than before, but recognizable all the same. Her eyes widened.

_What's he doing here?!_

"Himeko!"

Shock and terror fighting for equal footing in her belly, Himeko knelt down as the small boy flew into her arms, lifting him up and hugging him tightly. "Jin," she whispered raggedly as she felt him tremble in her arms. "For the love of Tsuki, what are you _doing_ here? _Why _are you in your human form? You know pups can only hold it for a few hours!"

She could already feel the telltale tremors coursing through his small body, and gently Himeko set Jin back down, running her hand through his hair. Despite the seriousness of the situation she couldn't help but admire the pup's iron will for assuming his human form.

It was a form to be proud of, in any case. Like his mother he possessed dark, rich brown skin. The light green markings around his eyes as a pup served as wildly messy short light green hair on his head, glasses perched on his nose and curious red eyes gazing at the world. Himeko wondered just how many features were Miyako's and just how many were Tsubasa's—she had yet to see the First Head's human form.

"This is bad." Closing her eyes, torn between anger and pride, Himeko rested her forehead against Jin's. "This is really, really bad," she whispered. She had to figure out a way to get the pup safely back into the trees and back to his parents. Deciding it was best to move and think, Himeko swept the boy up into her arms and began to walk, following an old path in her mind. Having developed the skill of slipping quietly away from human eyes, she gently tucked Jin's head beneath her chin and kept walking as he trembled in her arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm really sorry, Himeko. I just smelled you nearby, and I missed you a lot, so I thought I could do it… for awhile… but I don't feel that good…"

Pups could, in fact, assume human form; but being that they were still young and not even as mature as yearlings, they could only hold it for a few hours before the effects started to kick in. Keeping in mind the ticking time bomb, Himeko skirted a young couple who were immersed in each other and cut between a pair of stores, noticing the streak of trees. Soothingly rubbing Jin's back, Himeko looked briefly over her shoulder to make sure no one saw her before stepping into the trees.

As the familiar shadows fell over her back and hair Himeko felt a sense of peace and belonging creep into her core, and she closed her eyes for a moment, letting scent and sound alone guide her. She wanted to be deeper into the heart of the forest before she let Jin down, just to be safe.

"Okay, this is good." She gently set him down, kneeling to brush loose strands of hair out of his eyes. "Change back now, Jin, no one can see you but me."

"Okay."

The change was startlingly quick; all Himeko had to do was blink and Jin the boy was gone, replaced by the Jin the wolf pup she knew so well. As she held out her hand he sniffed her fingertips, resting his head trustingly in the palm of her hand as she scratched him behind the ears with her other one.

"_I'm really, really sorry," _he murmured, gazing at her with huge, sad golden eyes. _"Are you still mad?"_

She smiled tiredly. "I was never mad at you, Jin. You meant well."

"_I just missed you a lot."_

"Yeah, I missed you too. When I finish this up and come home, I'll play with you all day to make up for it. That sound good?"

His eyes lit up. _"Yeah!"_

A soft cough made them both look up.

Tsubasa sat nearby, at the base of a large tree. To Himeko's shock the white wolf looked less intimidating than the first time she'd glimpsed him as he sat there, his tail wrapped around his paws and his good eye watching them with quiet humor and understanding. He obviously must have known what his son had done, but she smelled no anger coming from him.

Himeko gently ruffled Jin's fur before the pup trotted to his father; Tsubasa lowered his head to gently bump noses with the pup before he stood, buried his massive jaws into Jin's scruff, and lifted the pup off his paws. He nodded briefly to Himeko before turning away, and in a flash of white he sped away to the pack home.

For a moment, Himeko longed to run after him.

She settled instead for sitting against the tree Tsubasa had sat before, leaning into it and closing her eyes, deeply inhaling the familiar wolf smells like water.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_It's easy for a disguised wolf to forget themselves._

_You get so used to acting human, to saying things people expect to hear and doing things expect to see, that you forget you're not human at all but something entirely different._

_Humans have always hated one thing, and one thing in particular, about wolves: the fact that we carry our pride and dignity in our eyes. It's always there, that small, quiet gleam that challenges everything about them, and they absolutely loathe it. We wolves have never been ashamed of our pride, have never tried to hide our dignity. A common saying is that a way to tell a disguised wolf from a human is to look for that gleam in their eyes._

_I suspect even I had that telltale gleam in my eyes, though Chikane-chan never seemed to see it herself. Our freedom, our pride, is the one thing we wolves have never really figured out how to hide or mask._

_I don't think I'd ever want to hide it, anyway. Why should we be ashamed of the fact that we're wild? Why should we be ashamed of our freedom?_

_Sometimes I thought Chikane-chan could have been a wolf. She had that gleam in her eyes—that wildness, that freedom, that pride and dignity. It was almost like she was a wolf trapped in a human's body._

_Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Chikane-chan had been a wolf born into my pack instead of a wolf hunter._

_Certainly not this…_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"You just don't _learn_, do you?"

Himeko heard the voice distantly, but sleep still clouded her mind and she couldn't move much even if she wanted to. It took her only a moment to realize she was moving, though she had no memory of waking and getting to her feet. She frowned a little, trying to figure out what was going on. She was warm, definitely very warm…

"Hello, are you awake back there? I felt you stir, Himeko."

Her eyes widened and she sat up. "Chikane-chan?!"

The dark-haired girl in question staggered at Himeko's sudden jolt of movement, hissing and narrowing her eyes. "Watch it," she warned. "Move like that again and I might just drop you."

In a heartbeat Himeko was awake and she realized what was going on—much like Makoto had in the past Chikane carried her piggy-back, seeming completely at ease with the other girl's weight until she'd started to wake. "Sorry," she whispered, cautiously leaning forward again and resting her hands back on Chikane's shoulders. After a moment, timidly, she asked, "Why are you carrying me, Chikane-chan?"

"After I came out, you were gone. I found you in the forest by a tree." Chikane shook her head and sighed. "Don't you know to stay away from there? Or are you tempting Fate with those wolves again?"

Himeko said nothing, feeling heat rush into her face; Chikane sighed again and continued.

"Anyway, you were asleep and I didn't feel like waking you up. You looked so peaceful. So I figured I'd just carry you. You're actually very light, so it wasn't that hard."

Himeko didn't know what to say as Chikane's words faded and she continued to walk. She was a complete stranger to this girl—why was she always so nice to her? Giving piggy-back rides when one felt it was needed was something that occurred between close friends or siblings, not two girls who barely knew each other.

_Especially when one of them is lying…_

After a moment, Himeko slowly lifted her arms so that they were around Chikane's neck instead of resting on her shoulders; she paused, waiting, but the other girl said nothing in protest. Feeling the heat in her face increase but encouraged by Chikane's lack of protest, Himeko gently lowered her head so her cheek rested against Chikane's back. "Thank you, Chikane-chan," she murmured.

Chikane paused mid-step, trying to gauge and measure the warmth in her chest at Himeko's words; she settled for closing her eyes and continuing to walk, even though she could feel a blush heat her cheeks and a small tingle of pleasure race down her spine.

And she knew she was in serious trouble.

"Anytime, Himeko."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Did you know what I was back then, Chikane-chan?_

_I doubt it. You probably thought I was one of those nature loving people who had sympathy for the wolves, but I don't think you ever suspected back then that I was a wolf. I knew something about me threw you off._

_We were even. Something about you threw me off, too._

_You were an odd one. Most humans I'd met were cool to strangers, but you treated me kindly. You carried me when you could have just shaken me awake, and you didn't complain when I woke up._

_You were wary of me, but you didn't seem to mind letting me come closer to you. I guess you thought if you got to know me better, you'd stop feeling so curious about me. Sometimes I wonder if you subconsciously knew what I was, and sought to reveal me._

_Maybe if I'd pushed you away, maybe if I hadn't leaned on you when you carried me…_

_Did you know what I was back then, Chikane-chan? I doubt it._

_Sometimes I wonder…_

_Did you know what I was that night, Chikane-chan? Or did you just know I was going away?_

_I've never known._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

No flashbacks this time around, but mainly because I wanted to throw in some foreshadowing of what's going to eventually happen... though you only get a hint, sorry. (sweatdrops)

Read and review, please!


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: _I don't own KnM and I still can't find the freakin' DVDs. Manga comes out in May, though.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 7_

By the time the two girls made it back to the mansion, darkness had begun to fall, the setting sun splashing the sky with bright reds and yellows and oranges as Himeko cautiously slid off Chikane's back. "I could have walked, you know," she said as Chikane straightened, stretching. "You didn't have to carry me the whole way if it was bothering you."

"Oh?" Unable to resist, the dark-haired girl smirked. "Worried about me?"

Himeko squeaked and looked away, blushing deeply. More amused than she could remember being in a long time, Chikane laughed and reached out, gently brushing a loose strand of hair back behind Himeko's ear. "Relax, I'm just playing around with you. You're too easy, Himeko."

"Really?" Himeko frowned, thinking this over. "You know, Mako says the same thing…"

"Mako?"

She froze, realizing what she'd let slip, but she couldn't take it back now; Chikane was looking at her curiously, obviously intrigued by this slip of tongue. Up until this point Himeko had said nothing about her home or the people in it. Biting back a groan, Himeko went with the train of thought. "Her name's really Makoto," she said, "but I've always called her Mako."

_Not Mako-chan_, Chikane noted, not missing the lack of honorifics when Himeko spoke of the other girl. Such a thing usually indicated a level of closeness, or they were family. But it was hard to say. "You two must be close, then," she said quietly, glancing at Himeko.

"We are." Himeko smiled briefly, forgetting her security, and there was no mistaking the wistfulness in her eyes. "I probably wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for her." She tilted her head back, gazing up at the stars. "I'd die for her in a heartbeat."

Chikane didn't know what to make of that, or of the sick, hard ball beginning to coil in her stomach. Her good mood suddenly gone, she looked away. She frowned. "You know, you're talking like a wolf. My father said they always put their pack mates before themselves."

A tremor rippled down Himeko's spine; she lowered her eyes, glancing at Chikane, but the other girl wasn't looking at her. As she walked to the door, Himeko bit her lip.

"You never know, Chikane-chan," she murmured, following her. "Maybe I _am _a wolf."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_The ironic thing was, Orihime never actually gave the black dog a name._

_It wasn't so much that she didn't want to give the dog a name more so than she simply didn't know exactly what to call her. She'd originally dabbled with the idea of calling her Aoi, but it merely meant "blue" and didn't really apply to the rest of her._

_Maybe if the dog hadn't been so complicated, she could have received a name. But she was complicated, more so than Orihime liked to think. The half wolf was extremely protective of her and always wanted to be near her, but she was also gentle and kind to Sakura._

_And then there was the shell pendant around her neck, the pendant that brought back the memory of Tsuki-chan, sharp and clear._

_Sighing, Orihime shook her head and looked down. The black dog was curled faithfully at her side, her head resting on her paws and her eyes closed as she dozed. Without thinking the woman rubbed her head, gently scratching her behind the ears._

"_Maybe I should just call you Tsuki-chan and be done with it," she muttered with a sigh. The dog opened her eyes, lifting her head to look at Orihime as the woman continued to scratch her behind the ears. "I think she'd like knowing I can't get her out of my head, so I name a dog after her."_

_The dog in question snorted, shifting her slim black body so she could rest her head on Orihime's lap, closing her eyes with a contented sigh. Pausing, a soft smile curved her lips, and she leaned down to gently kiss the dog's head._

"_You probably don't care what I call you as long as I don't leave you alone, huh?"_

_The dog just nuzzled her muzzle into Orihime's other hand and sighed again._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko made it her business to avoid Chikane's parents when she heard the door bang open and heard the mixture of voices. It wasn't like they were hard to avoid; the stench of wolf's blood rolled off them in waves, making her several shades paler than she probably should have been.

She fought instinct and her own stomach as it rolled and jolted. "Easy," she whispered raggedly, resting a hand against her grumbling belly. The knob to her room felt cool and slick against her sweaty hand, and she wrenched it open and slammed the door shut, sagging back against it and sinking to the floor as soon as she was in her room.

The closed door only succeeded in partially fading the scent of blood, but it still wasn't enough. Blowing out a long, ragged breath, Himeko closed her eyes.

Okay. _Okay._ Obviously, some people were easier to identify as hunters than others. Around those people, Himeko needed to be more careful. The scent of blood was enough to make her wish she could run to the trees, but she had a job to do.

At least this gave her a better idea of who was a threat to her pack. By the amount of blood she smelled coming off Chikane's parents—particularly her father—she could easily guess both of them were very active wolf hunters. Their daughter, on the other hand, didn't carry a whiff of the stench despite being an acknowledged wolf hunter for four years.

Himeko frowned, slowly opening her eyes as the gears in her brain began to click together. If she could go on scent alone, it meant that Chikane was certainly a skilled hunter, but no where near as active as her parents were. From what she'd heard once from older wolves, the business of wolf hunting tended to split down two alleys: the hunters that actually genuinely loved what they did and did it as often as they could, and hunters who did it but usually preferred to find a way to keep their prey alive.

Miyako had told her that; off-handedly once, about how some hunters preferred to set traps and catch the wolves, then release them somewhere else instead of killing them. Himeko's frown deepened.

_Come to think of it, Miyako always seemed to know quite a bit about wolf hunting…_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Are you telling me that _Kinjo Miyako _walked into this house and you just let her _leave_?!"

Chikane scowled and resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest. "What was I supposed to do, Father, shackle her to the couch and kindly ask her if she'd like some tea as she waits for my parents?" she snapped angrily. "She had a husband to get home to. By all accounts, she doesn't seem interested in this kind of life anymore."

Her father's eyes lit up. "Does she have any children?"

"Father, if she does, I highly doubt she'd want them to take up the life she chose to leave behind."

Grumbling, Himemiya Isamu ran a hand through his hair as his wife laid a gentle hand on his shoulder to soothe him, shooting Chikane a look of quiet approval over his head. "If you remember correctly, Isamu," she murmured, "Kinjo-san was good at what she did, but she only killed if she had no choice. She's not the kind of hunter we need right now."

"Right. You're right." Isamu sighed. "Kinjo-san was always the type who preferred to trap the beasts than shoot them. She even had a pop idol friend who took them in so her brother wouldn't shoot them himself. She vanished too, if I remember correctly."

Content that disaster had been averted, Himemiya Kazumi came around the couch to sit next to her husband, directing her attention to her daughter. "But away from that, Chikane, why don't you tell us about this young lady Kinjo-san brought?"

"You mean Kurusugawa-san?" For a moment, Chikane almost called her Himeko. "Well… she's my age, but she's really quite innocent. She was attacked by wolves, but she can't seem to stay away from the trees. I'm beginning to think she's one of those nature people… you know." _She's also hiding something about her wounds and just how close she was to the wolves that attacked her, and every time I'm around her I want to make sure no one hurts her. But I probably shouldn't tell them that yet._

Chikane knew instantly that she would have been better off living out her prediction about what kind of person Himeko was, as Isamu's face darkened notably. "You mean she has sympathy for wolves?"

"I never said that, Father. I just said she seems to love the forest and sneaks off to it every chance she gets."

"Those types usually—"

"Kurusugawa-san isn't a 'type', she's a person, and if you try and throw her out because of what you think I'll personally stand in the doorway and refuse to move."

A soft snicker from Kazumi told Chikane that her mother wholeheartedly agreed with her daughter, but when Isamu turned to her she covered the laugh with a delicate little cough. "She sounds like a pleasant girl. How are her wounds?"

"Healing very well, actually. She's strong, though she doesn't look it. She can handle herself."

"And yet you still sound so protective."

A gleam of humor lit Kazumi's eyes as Chikane promptly snapped her mouth shut and refused to speak for the rest of the night.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The scent of blood, cruelly, reminded Himeko of her parents.

Maya, her mother, had been a young she-wolf, a dark charcoal gray with gentle golden eyes that could harden in a heartbeat if someone she loved was threatened. Aki, her father, hadn't had quite the fur coloring his daughter had but it had been perhaps a shade darker, more of a dark brownish-gold like a shiny copper penny. He had been the one who wore the shell pendant before his death, once telling his curious daughter that it was a pendant passed down through their family.

Her parents had been good wolves, devoted to their pup and to their niece, Makoto. They'd been loyal to their pack, and they had loved each other.

They had been killed in one of the great hunts the town sometimes had when the citizens were demanding wolf's blood or when the hunters were feeling restless and eager to kill. Aki had given Himeko to his brother, Makoto's father, and quickly licked her ear and promised to show her how to hunt rabbits before plunging with Maya back into battle.

They didn't come back.

It had been her uncle who gave her the pendant, taken from Aki's dead body. She'd worn it ever since, in loving memory of her parents.

_Funny… you know… _Himeko gazed up at the ceiling as she lay on her bed and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. _I don't think I ever saw their human forms, either. _She smiled and tried to ignore the tears sliding down her cheeks. _I wonder who I look like, Mom or Dad? Or maybe I look like both…_

She'd gone to live with Makoto and her parents after that. And when they'd been yearlings, barely turning two, her parents had died, too.

Makoto was the only blood family she had left.

And right then, Himeko desperately wished the reddish-brown she-wolf was there. Her best friend, her cousin, her big sister. She'd know what to do.

"Mako…"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_They'd only been riding in the forest for a few minutes when Orihime began to realize something was wrong._

_For one thing, the horses were skittish; snorting nervously, dancing from hoof to hoof, their tails and ears flicking. Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Orihime," she began._

"_Sakura-chan, look at the dog."_

_They both looked._

_The black half wolf in question seemed to be just as agitated as their mounts, if not more so. The fur along her back, neck, and shoulders bristled and her lips curled back to reveal bared teeth. Her whole body trembled as though she was struggling to keep from shooting into the trees and attacking whoever was there._

"_Shit." Sakura gritted her teeth and tightened her hold on the reins as her horse nickered nervously and shifted beneath her. "What is it, wolves?"_

"_What else could it be?"_

"_Ah, shit. It's always wolves. No offense, Blackie-chan."_

"_Blackie-chan" flicked her ear briefly to acknowledge Sakura's quick apology, but her dark eyes were completely focused on the hill before them._

_The wolves came out of the trees silently; their bodies were long and slim, and hard muscle rippled beneath their fur. Their eyes were cold as they silently crept around the small hunting group._

"_I don't see the alpha male," Orihime murmured, her eyes scanning the wolves._

"_I thought most wolf packs had several leaders nowadays."_

"_Most of them do, but this one clings to the old ways. The alpha male would be the largest wolf, the most powerful looking." _

_The black half wolf barked sharply, causing Orihime to look down at her in surprise; the dog was still bristling, but her blue eyes were no longer wary. Hatred burned within their dark depths, hatred and pain rolled into a ball like brilliant midnight fire._

_Swallowing, Orihime slowly followed her gaze._

_And saw the alpha male._

_He was large, and made purely of muscle. His golden eyes seemed to burn like twin suns in the fractured sunlight that fell threw the leaves of the trees overhead, and his dark gray fur made no sound as he slipped quietly through the bushes to stand on the hill._

_And he was gazing down at the black dog with the same amount of hatred that she was looking at him with._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Anyone who can guess who the dark gray wolf is gets an imaginary cookie. And yes, I am dropping hints the size of cars about Miyako's past. Not to mention that "pop idol friend of hers". Hm.

Read and review, please!


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: _I own nothing, dammit.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 8_

"_You grew up way too fast  
__And now there's nothing to believe  
__And reruns all become our history  
__A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio  
__And I won't tell no one your name  
__And I won't tell 'em your name."_

-Goo Goo Dolls

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave her alone? Father…"

Kazumi's eyes softened, and she rested a hand on Chikane's shoulder. "I know you're feeling protective of the girl, Chikane, but you can't shield her from your father. She'll meet him sooner or later, whether she wants to or not."

"I know, but still…"

"Don't worry. He'll question her, but I'll make sure he doesn't go too far. It's obvious you're fond of her, and I don't want him chasing her away on you."

Chikane blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Honey, I'm your mother." Kazumi smiled. "I know these things. Now go—you'll be late for school at this rate."

"Hey, Mom?"

"Hmmm?"

"Thanks."

With that Chikane leaned in, giving her mother a quick peck on the cheek before running out the door. She still wasn't crazy about going to school and leaving Himeko alone, but at least she had the assurance that Kazumi would keep an eye on things until she got back.

"Miya-sama!"

Ah, _shit._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

While Himeko knew she'd still slept in, she considered the fact that she woke up a few seconds earlier than yesterday something to be proud of. Last night hadn't been nearly as hard as her first night, as she had dreamed only of running through the trees with Makoto and Souma and playing with her parents when they had still been alive. It hadn't been much, but her wolf instincts had seemed soothed by it.

She knew almost immediately that something was off, something was different; she felt something coil in her stomach and swallowed, closing her eyes and blowing out a long breath. _I have nothing to be afraid of, _she told herself, fighting to ignore the scent of wolf's blood. _They think I'm human, like them. I have nothing to be afraid of. Nothing at all._

_And sooner or later, I have to meet them._

Slowly, she opened her eyes. "But the truth is," she whispered to the empty room, "I always hoped Chikane-chan would be with me when I finally met her parents."

Since she knew she wasn't going to get a reply, she figured she might as well get on with it and get it over with, and stepped out into the hall.

The scent of blood hit her almost immediately, and she shuddered as a tremor rippled down her spine. Damn her wolf instincts. Damn them to hell, she thought viciously as her stomach lurched and rolled. Now more than anything she wanted to take on her true form, to stay as far away from Chikane's parents as possible, or better yet have Chikane there with her. The other girl's presence made things easier, somehow.

But Chikane wasn't there; from what Himeko had heard last night, she had to go to something called "school" and wouldn't be home for much of the day. Damn.

So lost in thought was the golden-haired girl that she didn't notice where she was walking, and very nearly walked into a table—and the vase on it—until a firm, gentle hand grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her back, and she stumbled into warm arms. For a crazy moment she thought Chikane was there, as dark strands of hair fell along her cheek and neck, but no—these strands were a bit darker than Chikane's, more black than blue.

"You must be Kurusugawa-san, then."

The voice was amused, soft and gentle; remembering herself, Himeko rapidly stumbled back out of her savior's arms, gaping.

The woman she gazed at could be no one, in her mind, but Chikane's mother. The similarities were just too obvious. Her hair was just as long as her daughter's, black instead of blue, and her eyes were almost the exact shade of blue, that midnight darkness without stars. Her voice even sounded similar to Chikane's, albeit a bit warmer and thicker. She swallowed hard. "Uh, hi," she squeaked.

"Hello." Amusement sparkled in the older woman's eyes. "My name is Himemiya Kazumi. You're in luck; my husband only left for work a few minutes ago."

_Thank you, timing. _Himeko blew out a breath she hadn't even been aware of holding and forced a small, shaky smile. "I'm sorry," she said. "Was I supposed to meet him…?"

"He was interested in you, naturally, but then we all are." Kazumi's smile managed to be both cautious and friendly. "This is the first time we've housed an attack victim."

"I…. ah, I see."

Himeko couldn't quite put her finger on why she felt as though Kazumi was trying to see _through _her, as though she was trying to figure out if the person standing before her was real or a figment of her imagination or a ghost of some sort. It was a creepy feeling, and she shifted nervously from foot to foot before clearing her throat. "Is, uh, Chikane-chan around?"

Kazumi raised a brow, but managed to successfully keep a straight face. "She's in school right now, I'm afraid. You missed her by a few hours." She smiled, deciding to poke around a bit. "She actually wanted to stay home and keep an eye on you."

Himeko blushed and looked at the ground, mumbling under her breath.

"Either way, she'll be out for a few more hours." Kazumi took pity on the girl. "If you want, you can wander around in town for a bit, familiarize yourself with it more. Chikane told me she took you down there, but you'll need to visit it more than once."

"That… sounds like a good idea." Then, an idea struck Himeko. "Will Chikane-chan be there?"

"Eventually, yes." Kazumi successfully swallowed the chuckle that rose in her throat. "I'm sure once school is dismissed she'll manage to track you down."

Suddenly, visiting town sounded like a very tempting idea.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The square of Mahoroba wasn't quite as crowded as it had been the other day, but there was still a lot going on. Content to just be on the side and not involved, Himeko sat at one of the benches in the area, watching everything pass her by as she mulled over her meeting with Chikane's mother.

_It was weird… like she was looking at me, but she was seeing someone else… do I look like someone she used to know?_

Himeko frowned, then sighed and shook her head, leaning back against the bench and closing her eyes as she tilted her head back. Maybe she was just over thinking everything. She'd been on edge ever since coming to the mansion, and maybe she was just imagining something that wasn't even there.

"Well, well, well." A pair of warm hands covered her closed eyes, and Himeko jolted a bit in surprise. "Someone looks a little stressed."

"_Mako?"_

"Drat, right on the first guess."

Makoto lifted her hands away and plopped down easily on the bench next to Himeko as she gaped, running a hand through her auburn hair and giving a crooked grin. "Just thought I'd check on ya. How you holdin' up?"

"You… you shouldn't… is Souma here too?"

"Nah. He wanted to come, but he was sparring with Tsubasa and Kazuki when I snuck away. I dragged Yukihito here with me instead to keep an eye on things."

Makoto gave a quick jerk of her head over her shoulder, and following the gesture Himeko saw a lanky dark brown male wolf lurking in the shadows, watching the pair with reserved gold eyes. Yukihito was the only son of the Third Head, Kazuki, and unusually reserved for his young age. He was the same age as Souma, Makoto, and Himeko, but had never involved himself in the trio's fun. "You shouldn't be here," Himeko muttered, but gave in to the urge and hugged her cousin tightly. "You'll get in big trouble if someone finds out."

"Hey, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." Makoto draped one arm along Himeko's shoulders in a one armed hug, gently bumping foreheads with the other girl.

She didn't look well, Makoto noted grimly, cupping Himeko's chin and resting her forehead against the other girl's to get her temperature. Her skin was a few degrees warmer than it probably should have been, her face pale and her eyes tired. "How long have you been holding your human form, Hime?"

"Is the strain starting to show already? I've been holding it for about two days… tonight will be my third night."

"No, it's okay… you look fine to humans, but I can see the signs. You know, wolf to wolf. Between you and me, you look like crap."

"Thanks, thanks a lot…"

Makoto chuckled and Himeko smiled tiredly, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder. The laughter faded quickly, though, and Makoto turned her head so she was speaking directly into Himeko's ear, her voice soft. "I'm serious, Hime, you look dead on your feet. Any wolf who sees you can tell. You need to shake the shining star of Himemiya and drop your form for at least a few minutes, or you'll never last."

"I know, I know, it's just hard." Himeko closed her eyes, breathing in Makoto's familiar scent. "She's stuck to me like glue since I came here, asking me questions about my wounds and just being protective. I'm thinking of getting out a bit tonight, when everyone else is asleep. It's probably the safest bet."

A quiet murmur from Makoto told Himeko that her words had been heard, but it was a long time before either of them spoke again. After a moment, Makoto chuckled. "Hey, Hime, remember the first time you took on your human form?"

"I had successfully purged it from my mind until just now." Himeko opened one eye, smirking. "I was just a pup, right?"

"Yeah, and you wandered into town and got jumped by a bunch of older boys."

"And you saved me."

"Yeah. And you know, what really sucks about this whole thing this time around is if you're in trouble, I can't save you."

Himeko slowly opened her other eye, looking up at Makoto; the other girl sighed ruefully and shook her head, smiling tiredly. "Shit, that kind of slipped out."

"It's okay."

"I didn't mean to say that."

"I said it's okay, Mako. I get what you're saying."

"That's good." Makoto smiled again. "Anyway, I didn't come here to tell you sentimental crap or just to check up on you, though it's been nice. I was talking to Yukihito on the way here, and he told me something very interesting."

Intrigued, Himeko sat up, looking at Makoto. The other girl took a deep breath before continuing in one great breath.

"Anyway, I was talking to Yukihito and he said the Heads recently learned something about Tsuki, and it's really new so only the Heads of all the packs know about it, but since Yukihito is Kazuki's son… yeah, anyway, so Yukihito told me that recently they learned something about Tsuki, and get this… apparently, before she died, Tsuki gave birth to pups."

Himeko blinked several times. For a moment, her brain seemed to stop working as she tried to comprehend exactly what Makoto had just said. "Pups?" she repeated.

"Yeah, pups. A pack dug up this old den a few days ago, and the scent they picked up was Tsuki's. It was really old and faded, but it was definitely her and they smelled other scents that indicated she'd given birth there."

"So… Tsuki had pups."

"Yeah, so we have wolves of her bloodline running around. And since she established the pack here, they think her descendants might be in our pack."

"Is there anyway to identify them?"

"Not yet, no."

Himeko frowned, mulling this new information over. "Well," she said with a sigh, "this changes things."

"Yeah." Makoto grinned. "Ain't it great?"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_To say that she thought there was some kind of history between the black dog and the dark gray wolf was an understatement, in Orihime's way of thinking. From the way they were both bristling just at the sight of each other, it was obvious they had crossed paths before. Slowly she shifted in the saddle, her hand sliding back to grip the hilt of her dagger. "Sakura-chan," she warned quietly._

_That was all she managed before the wolves attacked._

_Orihime was knocked off her horse in the explosion of fur and teeth and fangs, and almost immediately she lost sight of both the black dog and Sakura. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her dagger and she struck out, ignoring the warm blood that gushed onto her hands and arms, pushing the limp body off her only to be dragged under again._

_She knocked one skinny light brown wolf off her and stumbled out of the group, turning, trying to see what was going on. She saw a flash of movement and assumed it was Sakura, but she couldn't see the black dog…_

_A sharp snarl sounded behind her; she was blindsided on her left shoulder, and she screamed as the dark gray wolf leaped past her, his claws ripping into her shoulder and causing blood to spill. The force of his attack threw her into the grass, and her dagger skidded away, out of her reach._

_The dark gray wolf spun around, springing forward again, his teeth bared. Orihime braced herself for the inevitable pain, and most likely the quick death that would follow._

_Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of black; the next instant the black wolf was there from the side, her fangs sinking deep into the gray wolf's neck. The momentum of her attack threw the gray wolf away from Orihime, and with a snarl the black dog positioned her body over Orihime's, her lips pulled back and her teeth bared as her fur bristled. Cuts slashed over her slim body, her black fur stained with red and one eye open only a slit because of the bloody slash over it—but she was ready to defend Orihime with her life._

_The pink shell pendant hung around her neck. Drops of blood dripped from it to the grass below. _

_For a long, long moment the black dog and the dark gray wolf glared at each other. Finally, the pair seemed to reach a stalemate of some kind; the dark gray wolf lifted his head and howled before speeding away, his pack fanning out after him._

_Orihime watched with disbelieving eyes, slowly sitting up as the black dog gingerly stepped over her. "Sakura-chan?"_

"_I'm fine." The girl's voice was exhausted as she staggered to her friend. "What the hell happened?"_

"_I have no clue…"_

"_Um, you know, Blackie-chan doesn't look too good."_

_The black dog wasn't facing them, still gazing after the dark gray wolf and his pack; looking at her more closely, Orihime could see she was trembling, barely able to stand on her own paws. Orihime felt her heart clench; how much blood had the dog lost?_

_Slowly, the black dog swung around to face the two young hunters, taking an unsteady step toward them; her blue eyes were dark, pained. Wordlessly, Orihime opened her arms, and the black dog tumbled into them, resting her head against Orihime's shoulder as the woman's arms came tight around her neck._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

By the time the sun started to set, Himeko knew she was in trouble. A steady headache had started pounding at her temples not long after she had said her goodbyes to Makoto and Yukihito, and it had only grown steadily worse as the day went on. Now, walking by the building she assumed was the school, her shoulder brushing the fence, she could barely see straight; the world kept spinning and dimming, followed occasionally by a sharp pain in her head that made her stagger and wince.

Deciding that continuing to walk would be a very bad idea in the long run and only lead to more pain, Himeko sagged back against the fence and slowly sat down, groaning. Seeing Makoto had been a wonderful bonus, but her wolf instincts were back in overtime and her body was abusing her once again as she approached her third night as a human.

She had to get away tonight and become a wolf again, if only for a few minutes. She'd never make it otherwise.

Another sharp pain exploded in her head, and Himeko winced as the world spun around her. God, at this rate, she'd never make it back to the mansion before sundown. Her muscles went limp, her vision dimmed, and she began to fall forward.

"Himeko?!"

A warm hand snaked around her, catching her as she began to fall and pulling her close; slowly Himeko opened her eyes and looked up, biting back a groan when she gazed into the dark blue eyes of one Himemiya Chikane. "Chikane-chan," she murmured, and forced a smile. "Hi."

Chikane sighed. "Hi. What's wrong? Are you getting sick?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired I guess…"

"Can you stand up?"

"Um… I think so…"

Chikane slowly slid her arm so it was around Himeko's shoulders as the golden-haired girl stood, weaving a bit unsteadily on her feet; Chikane's arm slid down to her waist, keeping her close, and for a moment Himeko rested her head on Chikane's shoulder as the two slowly began to walk, Chikane supporting the other girl. "Sorry," Himeko said softly, closing her eyes. "I'm always causing trouble for you, Chikane-chan… I'm really sorry."

For a moment the blue-haired girl opened her mouth to protest; but no words came out, and she slowly closed her mouth, shaking her head and smiling. She settled instead for turning her head slightly to chastely kiss Himeko's forehead, and was delighted when the shorter girl didn't pull away; she blushed, as expected, but if anything she only moved closer.

And overhead the sky began to darken from red and yellow to dark blue, stars flickering to life as night fell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things really start heating up in the next chapter, so... yeah. Look forward to it.

... Foreshadowing is fun.

Read and review, please!


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: _I don't own KnM, dammit.

_Author's Note: **Bold italics **_are wolves speaking to humans in the flashback sequences with Tsuki and Orihime.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 9_

"You seem to be thinking deeply about something."

The gentle clinking of her bracelets had announced her presence, and Miyako had smelled her scent on the wind long before hearing her; the chocolate brown wolf chuckled from where she lay, tilting her head slightly to nudge Corona's paws as the dark brown female padded to her side and sat. "Is it that obvious?"

"You have that glazed, 'I'm-kinda-not-at-home-at-the-moment' look in your eyes, but don't worry." Corona lowered her head, gently brushing muzzles with her longtime friend. "It's not very obvious until you get up close."

"Oh, lucky day."

Crickets chirped softly in the night air and another breeze blew by, stirring the grass and the fur of the two wolves, but neither minded. Slowly Miyako sat up, shaking her fur to rid it of the small bits of grass and leaves still sticking. "Where's Reiko? You two are practically shadows of each other."

"Where's Tsubasa?" Corona's eyes gleamed.

"Touché."

"In all seriousness, though, she's leading the evening hunt." Corona moved her shoulders in the wolf equivalent of a shrug. "She wanted me to come, but you'd wandered off and I was getting worried."

"Friends 'til the end, come what may, eh?"

"Hey, for the record, I meant every word I said back then."

"I know, I know." Miyako gave Corona's ear a quick lick to soothe her. "I'm just teasing you. We haven't been alone like this for years."

"It's not a bad thing."

"No, it's not."

Another moment of silence followed as the pair of she-wolves sat quietly side-by-side, shoulders touching in a way that indicated their closeness. In another life, Miyako had saved Corona from a group of eager men, and Corona had returned the favor by housing the wolves she couldn't kill. When Miyako had decided to leave it all behind and assume a wolf form, love for another and deep friendship had led Corona to follow her.

Had their lives gone differently, they could have easily become lovers until the day they died. It was a fact they both knew and accepted.

"Jin's doing well." Corona's lips curved in a wolf smile. "Souma was teaching him how to catch mice when I left."

"Yes, Tsubasa and I started that with him recently." Affection and love filled Miyako at the thought of her mate and pup. "He's learning fast, but he still gets frustrated sometimes. Thankfully, Tsubasa is patient enough for all three of us."

"Reiko wanted me to tell you that she knows a nice little place where he can practice without the pack around. She said she could take him there sometime, if you and Tsubasa are willing."

"You know, I wonder sometimes." Miyako shook her head. "Whatever did we do as humans, Corona, to deserve their love?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know."

Sighing, Miyako gave in and slid back down into the grass, closing her eyes as a wave of exhaustion hit her. As of late she'd spent more and more of her nights worrying about Himeko, and what the pup would discover during her time with the humans. Miyako was by no means ashamed of her background, and she certainly knew Himeko was capable of taking care of herself, but she couldn't help it. "Are you afraid?" Corona asked softly, settling next to her old friend and resting her head on the darker female's back.

"Should I be?" Miyako opened one golden eye to look at Corona. "I know what I was, Corona. I know what I did. I've never denied it, and I've never been proud of it."

"You killed fewer wolves in the prime of your hunting days than most."

"But that doesn't change the fact that I still killed wolves. Not that it matters… Himeko will learn what she will. I'll deal with that when she returns."

Corona mulled this over; after a moment, she shifted, lifting her head. "Hey, Miyako."

"Hmmm?"

The younger female's eyes gleamed. "Friends 'til the end."

Miyako chuckled, lifting her head as well to touch noses with Corona. "Come what may."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himemiya Isamu gazed into the eyes of a ghost.

Kannazuki Orihime was dead and gone, had been so for the last sixteen years, not long before her niece had been born into the world. But the young girl who stood before him, the same age as Orihime's niece and his daughter, was the mirror image of the dead woman down to her eye color.

Kurusugawa Himeko squirmed uncomfortably beneath Isamu's piercing gaze, somehow realizing that he saw someone else standing in her place. By the way her eyes flickered nervously, it was obvious that she almost wished he would start questioning her about something.

And when he finally opened his mouth to speak, he could only say one thing.

"You look just like my sister."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"It's a coincidence, Isamu."

"It can't be. It just can't. That girl—"

"Everyone has a twin somewhere in the world," Kazumi interrupted her husband gently. "You're assuming too much because of how she looks. Orihime is dead; there's no way she could come back to the world of the living, even if she wanted to."

Isamu slowly sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It was like looking at a ghost," he whispered. "It was like… I thought, for a moment, I had a second chance."

Kazumi's eyes softened. "Isamu."

"Our parents divorced when we were young. I told you that, didn't I? We didn't meet until we were eighteen. And then she died two years later." He closed his eyes. "We barely had any time. And then Kurusugawa…"

"I know." Kazumi rested her hands on her husband's shoulders. "I know. Believe me, it's the same every time I see Chikane." She smiled sadly. "She's the mirror image of _my _sister."

"I thought you and your mother adopted your sister."

"We did." Kazumi closed her eyes, bowing her head to gently touch her forehead to her husband's when he looked up at her. "But somehow, she still looked related to us. Except for her hair… and that shell pendant around her neck."

"… Kurusugawa is wearing a shell pendant…"

"_Enough_, Isamu."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Thoroughly shaken by her encounter with Isamu and knowing it was still not yet late enough to attempt to sneak away into the trees and drop her human form, Himeko made do with retreating to the small library. Chikane had mentioned off-handedly during the last few days that a book that kept records on wolf hunters and wolves resided in the library, and Himeko was eager to get her hands on it for a few minutes.

It was a large leather book, rough and weighing heavily in Himeko's hands as she held it; she cradled it to her chest so she wouldn't drop it, looked around quickly to make sure no one else was present to see what she was about to do, and quickly walked out of the library, heading for the safety of her room.

Deciding it was a safer bet to just keep her door closed instead of locking it (because if she locked it, someone would assume she was hiding something and she _really _didn't want to deal with that), Himeko crawled onto her bed, putting the book down and taking a deep breath and slowly opened the book, beginning at the first page.

The first section of the book focused on the wolf hunters, listing them alphabetically. Since 'Kannazuki' and 'Kinjo' were both in the same section, Himeko figured she'd kill two birds with one stone and flipped to the K's, reading Orihime's biography first. There was a small picture of the woman, smiling briefly at the camera, and Himeko felt a chill seep through her body.

_God, I do look like her. And if she's the sister of Chikane-chan's father, then… that makes her… Chikane-chan's aunt._

Shivering a little, Himeko blew out a long breath and began to read.

"_Kannazuki Orihime, sister of Himemiya Isamu. At the age of five, her parents divorced; her mother took her and eventually remarried, giving Orihime the name Kannazuki instead of Himemiya. Twenty years old at time of death, a solo hunter who preferred to travel and hunt freely instead of letting others call on her. Her only known companion was Kannazuki Sakura, her stepsister by marriage, and it is often said that the two were fiercely devoted to each other like blood sisters. Weapon of choice was a silver dagger. Last kill was a large, dark gray male wolf that had killed her stepsister. Cause of death was a direct stab to the chest, indicating that she stabbed through herself to kill the wolf. Her body was discovered with the body of a dead black dog, and further investigation revealed that the dog was in fact half wolf. Orihime is survived by her brother and a niece, Himemiya Chikane."_

"Tsuki," Himeko whispered, eyes widening.

It certainly made sense. Tsuki had possessed black fur, and she had only been half wolf; and from what the Heads had told her, she had also died about the same time as Orihime. But from what the book seemed to be implying, it was almost as if she and Orihime had died together, or at least in the same place. Himeko frowned. Was it possible that perhaps…?

_And we are stopping that train of thought right. This. Instant._

It would probably be best for her sanity to move on to Miyako, if she was in the book at all; her last name had been Kinjo. Her section was a bit longer than Orihime's, and Himeko began reading that as well.

"_Kinjo Miyako, sister and hunting companion of Kinjo Girochi. Parents died at the age of sixteen in a wolf attack; became a wolf hunter to support herself and her brother. Twenty years of age when she disappeared, a hunter who preferred catching and releasing wolves to shooting them. It is believed that she had a friend who housed the wolves, though she never gave anyone a name, even her own brother. Mysteriously vanished while on the case of the wolf known as the 'White Terror' and hasn't been seen since; her brother has also dropped out of wolf hunting. Weapon of choice was a gun. Some believe that she was killed by the White Terror, but there has been no evidence to support this. About the same time that she vanished, the White Terror disappeared as well and ceased attacking humans. No clear reason has ever been uncovered. Miyako is survived by her brother."_

The White Terror. Himeko smirked and swallowed a chuckle. Well, that was a human for you. A wolf took some time to attack humans every now and then and they got labeled with names like 'White Terror' and 'Black Death'; it was something of a joke back in the wolf world. Humor aside, though, the fact that 'white' was in that name implied that the wolf had been white, so… _Maybe Tsubasa? Yeah, that would make sense._ Himeko grinned for a moment. So Tsubasa had stolen Miyako away from a life of wolf hunting. By the moon above, that was romantic in a twisted kind of way.

_So maybe love between a wolf and a human can work out, after all._

Unable to resist, Himeko flipped the book back a few pages to read Chikane's section.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Sakura started the fire, not straying to far to find wood, and Orihime was grateful. After an attack like that, the two stepsisters tended to stick together like glue to recover; it was something they'd done since the very beginning of their hunting days. Sitting by the fire, she let the warmth seep into her and watched the flames dance._

"_Here." She looked up in surprise, catching the small medical pouch as Sakura tossed it to her. "I checked out the horses—we got lucky, just a few scratches."_

"_Nothing serious?"_

"_They're a little spooked, but they'll live. I already put some peroxide on their cuts so they wouldn't get infected. I'm sure Blackie-chan would appreciate some, too, even if it stings like hell. O' course, you can always soothe her with the healing ointment first."_

"_What makes you think __**I**__'__**ll **__do it?"_

_Smirking, Sakura motioned to the way the black dog laid, sprawled out on her side, her eyes closed and her breathing pained and uneven as her head rested in Orihime's lap. Orihime winced sympathetically, feeling the dog's pain, and looked up only to see Sakura retreat back to the horses, leaving the pair alone. Sighing, smiling despite herself, Orihime rolled her sleeves back a little and gently shifted so she was on her knees, cradling the dog in her arms. "Sorry," she whispered as the dog whined and flinched in pain. "I'm really, really sorry."_

_Gently setting the black animal down, Orihime dipped her fingers into the pouch and quietly pressed them against the dog's wounds, ignoring the animal's soft growl of discomfort as she applied the healing ointment. "Oh, don't be such a baby," she muttered, wrapping one arm around the dog's neck to keep her still. "I know it hurts, but this will help you, so just stay still and it'll all be over in no—"_

_The words died on her lips. She could only stare._

_On the back of the dog's neck, hidden by her black fur but noticeable due to the fact that Orihime had parted it with her fingers, was a deep, jagged scar right by the clasp of the pendant around her neck. Orihime stared at the scar as her memory scrambled backward, to that rainy night…_

_It all clicked together. A smirk curved her lips, and she slowly lifted her hand away to let the fur fall back to its natural place. Brushing a loose strand of golden hair back behind her ear, she lowered her head and murmured softly into the dog's ear, "I don't appreciate being lied to, Tsuki-chan."_

_A long moment of silence; the half wolf shifted, slowly sitting up to look at Orihime._

"_**I wasn't sure how you'd react if you knew it was me." **__Tsuki's voice echoed in Orihime's head, sounding just the way she remembered it. __**"I was a stranger to you, and I didn't know if you'd appreciate knowing that I couldn't get you out of my head."**_

"_Well, we're even there…"_

"_**Oh?"**_

"_I haven't been able to get you out of my head, either."_

_Tsuki blinked in surprise, her dark blue eyes flickering uncertainly; she flicked her ear and looked away, gazing at her paws. __**"Well, um," **__she mumbled, not looking at Orihime, __**"then you might not appreciate the fact that when a wolf pursues someone who's captured their interest, it's usually done with the intent of making that someone their mate." **_

"_I intrigued you that much?"_

"… _**Maybe…"**_

_The soft hesitation in Tsuki's voice made Orihime smile; she imagined that if the black half wolf had been in her human form, she would be blushing right now. "You know," the light-haired woman said conversationally, "I still need to thank you for saving my life."_

"_**No you don't. I did it because I wanted to."**_

"_Tsuki-chan, just do me a favor and take on your human form, okay?"_

_Tsuki blinked, then lifted her shoulders in what Orihime assumed to be a wolf shrug before she took on her human form. It happened practically in the blink of an eye; the black dog Orihime had known for so long was gone, replaced by a young woman with long blue hair and dark blue eyes. She looked at Orihime curiously._

"_Why did you want me to change? You already know what I look like."_

_Her voice sounded the same, Orihime thought with a smile. Human or wolf, Tsuki's voice never changed. She wondered why she loved knowing that._

_She was still smiling when she kissed Tsuki._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko watched the moon climb into the dark night sky. She felt another sharp pang in her head and winced, resting her hand against the glass of the window, narrowing her eyes as her vision blurred. She couldn't put it off any longer. She had to get away, and become a wolf again. If she put it off any longer, she'd eventually collapse and just raise even more questions.

Now was her only chance.

Moving lightly on her feet to avoid making any noise, Himeko quietly gripped her doorknob and slowly pushed the door open, peering cautiously down the hall to make sure no one was out at the moment. She slid outside, closing the door behind her with a gentle click, before beginning to walk down the hallway. Instinct begged her to run, but she ignored it.

She didn't know how long it took her to reach the door that led outside, away from the mansion to the world beyond. She stepped outside, felt the cold stone beneath her bare feet as she closed the door.

Then, and only then, did she run.

Wolf instinct had her streaking across the fancy lawn with its short grass, her eyes adjusting to the darkness in a heartbeat; even as a human, her physical capabilities were still on par with any wolf she could ever meet. The grass muffled the sound of her feet, soft and wet as she ran. She loved being under the trees, but what she desperately craved right now was open space, a place to stretch her legs and feel the wind in her fur.

Himeko stumbled into the clearing, where long ago she had been sent out to retrieve Jin; she fell to her knees for a moment, breathing raggedly from running the whole distance. Not even bothering with standing again she merely rolled onto her side, shifting from human to wolf in a matter of seconds.

It was incredible; the pain was suddenly gone, the dizziness, the blurred vision. As the grass tickled her fur Himeko sighed, closing her eyes and letting her muscles relax. Her paws twitched briefly but laid still, much to her everlasting relief. She just wanted to rest, just for a few minutes.

"Himeko? Himeko, where _are _you? We're both going to be in big trouble if my parents realize we're out here!"

Himeko rolled, easily shifting from wolf to human, and stared with wide eyes. Chikane stared back at her, panting and her eyes narrow with irritation. "Chikane-chan," the light-haired girl squeaked. "Why are you… why are you out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Chikane scowled. "I heard your footsteps as you were leaving."

"You… did?"

"Wolf hunters hear the softest noise, or so my father says. Are you insane, coming out here at night? That's when it's most dangerous! Anyone knows that! I should just—_gaaah_!"

Chikane's scolding words were warped into a muffled yelp as Himeko tackled her, dragging the dark-haired girl back into the trees, behind one of the giants. "Himeko," Chikane hissed, a dangerous gleam in her eyes, "what are you—"

"Shhhh!"

Himeko lifted her finger to her lips, begging for silence; Chikane narrowed her eyes but said nothing, and Himeko cautiously glanced around the tree, heart pounding. Yes, she'd smelled them, all right; a pair of wolves, heading straight for the clearing, but they were too far away for her to recognize the scents just yet. "Watch this, Chikane-chan," she whispered, looking down at the other girl with gleaming eyes.

"What are you…"

Chikane's words died on her lips as a pair of wolves emerged from the trees; her eyes widened and she stiffened. "Himeko…"

"It's all right. Just watch."

Now that they were closer, Himeko recognized the two; Miyako and Tsubasa. In the moonlight Miyako's dark fur seemed almost black, while Tsubasa seemed to gleam silver. The moonlight gave a ghostly air to the scar over his left eye, but the large First Head seemed relaxed and completely at ease as his mate loped easily ahead of him.

At that moment, Miyako darted back to Tsubasa, giving his ear a playful nip.

Himeko's eyes widened, but the surprise died as Tsubasa lunged playfully for the female; Miyako danced just out of his reach, her eyes gleaming, and tempting fate again she streaked around her mate, giving his tail a light tug. Tsubasa whipped his head around, but the growl that rumbled from his throat had no anger to it as he swiped at her again, Miyako still ducking away just in time.

"What are they doing?" Chikane whispered, her eyes glued to the two wolves as they frolicked in the grass, nipping and dancing around each other as fluidly as many married couples she'd seen.

Himeko smiled. "They're dancing."

At that moment Tsubasa finally managed to trip Miyako, and the chocolate brown she-wolf tumbled to the grass with a yelp, rolling easily onto her back. Tsubasa stood over her so their noses touched; he lowered his head and gave her cheek a quick lick, and the game started all over again.

"He isn't hurting her." Chikane's voice was filled with wonder.

"Of course not. Can't you tell? They're mates."

"But… he's so much bigger than her, and all the books say…"

"You can't believe everything you read, Chikane-chan."

The soft conversation trailed off as Miyako and Tsubasa finally finished their playing—their dancing, as Himeko had called it. As silently as they had come the two wolves shot away into the trees, briefly relieved of the stress of everyday life just by being with each other. For a long moment the two girls stared at the empty clearing; finally, Chikane blew out a long breath. "That was incredible," she murmured, looking up at Himeko.

"Wolves aren't all about blood and killing, you know."

"It's just…" The dark-haired girl didn't know how to describe what she'd seen. "They were playing, but you could tell… it was like you said. They were dancing."

Himeko chuckled before gazing out at the clearing again. "It _was _beautiful, wasn't it?" She smiled wistfully. "I wish I could dance with someone like that, even if only for a little bit. I'd never ever forget it."

There was a moment of silence as Himeko let the words fade away; Chikane frowned contemplatively for a moment before standing from her place, offering Himeko her hand. "So why don't you now?"

"Eh?"

"I know I'm not a wolf." Chikane's eyes gleamed in the moonlight. "But I can't think of a better time to try dancing like that." She smiled. "Take a chance with me, Himeko? Just for tonight?"

For a moment Himeko gazed uncertainly at Chikane's offered hand before slowly, almost shyly, meeting the other girl's eyes; but there was no ulterior motive, no double meaning this time. This was real, this was genuine, and not for the first time Himeko wondered if perhaps Chikane had been born a wolf in a past life.

And it was enough. Smiling shyly, she rested her hand in Chikane's, letting their fingers curl together.

"Just for tonight, Chikane-chan."

She let Chikane lead her out into the moonlight.

And they danced.

And as they danced, the shell pendant Himeko wore gleamed silver with secrets and memories.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Interesting."

Corona shot Reiko a look out of the corner of her eye, not wanting to look away from the two young girls below for a moment. "Do you mean 'interesting' as in 'this is bad' or 'interesting' as in 'God, this is hopelessly romantic'?"

Reiko glanced at her mate, flicking her ear. "I just mean interesting. Nothing more, nothing less. _You're _the one who finds it hopelessly romantic."

Corona nipped Reiko's ear. "That's mean, even for you. I just think it's sweet, is all. It's first love, you know? Puppy love. They're both pups by our standards, so yeah, it's puppy love. It's cute."

"… Do you mean they have first love, puppy love, or both?"

The dark brown she-wolf just snickered before looking away, gazing back down at the clearing from the rocks she and Reiko sat on. Her bracelets gleamed silver in the moonlight, and for a moment Reiko tilted her head to gently brush her muzzle along Corona's neck. "It's cute," she muttered, her voice soft. "I'll give you that much."

"Softie." Corona gave her mate's muzzle a quick lick.

Flicking her ear, Reiko turned her attention back to the clearing, narrowing her eyes. "It's still good that Tsubasa isn't here to see this," she muttered. "You and Miyako might find human/wolf love cute, but he'd think differently."

"He fell in love with a human too."

"Yes, but you know how he is. If he finds out that Himeko's starting to fall for the Himemiya girl, he'll rip her throat out without a thought." She paused briefly, then added, "After he goes after the Himemiya girl, of course."

"You sure know how to ruin a mood."

"I'm being logical. Hate me for it, but it's the truth. They're attracted to each other; it's obvious just from watching them." Reiko closed her eyes. "If Chikane was just a human, or even just a wolf hunter and _not _a Himemiya, it would be okay. If Himeko was… another wolf… if she didn't have that pendant around her neck, it would be okay. But Chikane is a Himemiya, and Himeko has that pendant around her neck." She slowly opened her eyes. "You _know _what that makes her."

"It's kind of ironic, when you think about it." Corona's voice was soft. "Not exactly reincarnation, but pretty damn close to it."

They said nothing after this, just watching over the scene; Reiko sighed and shook her head.

"This is a bad idea," she murmured, "but we won't tell Tsubasa or Miyako about this. We'll leave them be and let them figure it out themselves."

"And if it ends badly?" Corona glanced at her mate.

"Then it ends badly." Reiko met Corona's gaze. "Let's just hope for everyone's sake that blood isn't spilled because of puppy love." Her eyes gleamed with humor.

"Hey, _hey_! You think it's cute, too!"

Reiko gave no reply, just whirled and sped away into the darkness of the trees with Corona in hot pursuit.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Shock had Tsuki stiffening when Orihime's lips first met hers; it was a chaste kiss, a mere brushing of lips. As the black wolf began to cautiously ease into it, Orihime began to pull back; hissing softly in protest, Tsuki hooked one arm along Orihime's neck and brought the other woman's lips back to hers, and this time she was ready for it._

_This kiss was notably longer than the last, and by the time the two parted they were both blushing. They both looked up as Sakura snickered quietly. "Sakura-chan." Orihime blinked, trying to bring her feet back down to earth. "Did you… see that?"_

"_The whole thing. Nice job, Blackie-chan."_

_Tsuki raised a brow. "Blackie-chan? My name is Tsuki."_

"_Blackie-chan has a nice ring to it, though, don't you think?" Sakura grinned. "Orihime, if you don't mind, can you come here for a second? I need the pouch, and your horse is being stubborn and won't stand still… the stupid beast has already stomped on my foot." _

_Sighing, Orihime glanced apologetically at Tsuki before rising and going to aid her stepsister; Tsuki leaned back, bracing her hands behind her and letting her mind absorb this recent turn of events. She smiled. Maybe she'd stick with Orihime a little bit longer; the woman certainly didn't seem to mind her presence._

"_**Humans have an interesting way of showing affection, don't you think?"**_

_Tsuki glanced over her shoulder as the masculine voice echoed in her head; Rakuen sat calmly among the trees, far enough not to be noticed, but even from a distance Tsuki could see his eyes gleaming with good humor. Her cheeks darkened. __**"Shut up," **__she retorted. __**"I like it."**_

"_**Oh, I can tell that."**_

"_**You know, for a gentle giant you really have a sharp tongue." **__She narrowed her eyes, smirking. __**"Maybe I should cut it out."**_

"_**Now, now, no need to get violent."**_

_Tsuki laughed and looked back to Orihime and Sakura as Rakuen slipped quietly away into the trees._

_Neither wolf noticed the dark gray male that trailed him, moving silently and keeping his distance so his scent wouldn't be detected by the larger golden male._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Somehow, I get the feeling Tsuki's beloved "gentle giant" is going to meet a bloody, violent death before this fic is over. (sweatdrops)

Read and review, please!


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: _I don't own KnM, blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda...

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 10_

"_You're a member of the Himemiya family?"_

_Orihime winced and almost shook her head, but resisted the urge since she sat quite comfortably between Tsuki's legs, letting the dark-haired woman run her fingers through her unbound hair. As of yet Tsuki hadn't attempted to return to her wolf form, and Orihime treasured the time she spent as a human. She didn't know how long Tsuki had before she had to return to the forest, and she wanted every second she could get._

"_Depends on what you mean by member," she said at last, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against Tsuki's knee. "The blood of the Himemiya family runs through my veins, yes, but I haven't actually mingled with them until about two years ago." She hesitated for a moment, then plunged on. "When my brother—his name is Isamu—and I were young, about five or so, my parents divorced. Isamu went with Father, and Mama took me. She eventually remarried when I was seven, and I became a Kannazuki by marriage. The man she married also had a child from a previous marriage…" She opened her eyes, tilting her head quickly to the side; following her gaze, Tsuki saw Sakura grooming the horses._

"_Ah." The disguised black wolf nodded quietly. "I see." She ran her fingers through Orihime's hair again, quietly absorbing her scent. "So I take it Isamu is your twin?"_

"_Yes, but we don't look much alike, and sadly we aren't very close." Orihime closed her eyes again, soothed by Tsuki's touch. "We're working on it, though, which is better than nothing." Her lips curved. "His wife is pregnant. It's their first."_

"_Congratulations."_

_Silence fell after this, and Orihime slowly opened one eye to survey Tsuki quietly. The pink shell pendant the dark-haired woman wore around her neck gleamed faintly in the sunlight; Orihime had never seen her take it off, even when she was bathing. From what she recalled of their first meeting, the other woman had told her it was all she had left of her mother. But Tsuki was half wolf…_

"_Um… Tsuki-chan, may I ask… about your family?"_

_She felt it then; Tsuki's fingers stiffened and stilled in her hair, and a small tremor rippled through her body. After a moment, the half wolf regained control and blew out a long, ragged breath, but her hand stayed still. "Of course," she murmured, but her voice was shaking slightly._

_Orihime opened both eyes, lifting one hand to rest it over Tsuki's. "If it's too hard…"_

"_No. It's been a few years." Tsuki cleared her throat. "And the only other person I've ever talked to about it was Rakuen, and that was only once. It probably won't hurt so much if I talk about it."_

_Orihime gave Tsuki's hand a gentle squeeze; Tsuki gazed over her head, focusing at some random tree, and began to speak, her voice soft._

"_My father was a wolf, which is really… really stupid to bring up, since I figure you know I'm half wolf already."_

"_Your eyes and size give it away."_

"_Yeah. Yeah, I've been told." Tsuki gritted her teeth. God, this was hard. "I never met my mother—my birth mother—but I can assume she was either a dog or a human… probably a dog, most likely, since my father never liked humans." She shuddered briefly. "Half breeds aren't held especially high in the pack social ladder, and my father, from what I've been told, was a respected, powerful alpha who really didn't need to bear the burden of one of his own pups being half and half. I've never known what he did to my mother, but I do know that he abandoned me somewhere in the forest, probably hoping I'd eventually die of hunger or be killed by something larger and stronger than me. I was only a few weeks old, I think."_

_It was becoming harder and harder for Orihime to remain silent; despite her past as a hunter, she knew for a fact that wolves were fiercely devoted to their pups and would easily sacrifice their own lives to save them. The fact that a wolf had gone against something she'd always assumed to be instinct, and willingly, filled her with anger she had never felt before. "How… how could he…?"_

"_My father was never a normal wolf, by pack standards." Tsuki sighed. "To be fair to him, his life was shaped by blood and death from his puppy days, and even a wolf can only take so much trauma before they start going a little loopy. And as I said before, half breeds aren't considered very valuable, at least not until recently."_

_Tsuki trailed off for a moment, as though contemplating this; Orihime tilted her head back slightly to look up at her, frowning a little. "Tsuki-chan?"_

"_Sorry. Just thinking." Touched by Orihime's small show of concern, Tsuki lowered her head and gently brushed her lips against the light-haired woman's in a chaste kiss. "Trying to put everything in order in my head, I guess."_

"_Take your time."_

"_It's kind of simple after that, though." Tsuki closed her eyes, resting her forehead against Orihime's. "I was found by a human woman and her daughter; she was only a year older than me at the time. I was still young, not even old enough to really know I was a wolf, so I went through something of a reverse discovery. Because I was being raised by humans, I instinctively took on a human form and held it most of my life; so technically I grew up human, blissfully unaware of my wolf heritage."_

"_Did you know you were adopted?"_

"_My mother was very open to me from the very beginning, so I knew it, yes… but looking at me no one would have known. My form adapted to look like Mom and my sister, so I looked related to them though I wasn't, except for my hair… and my sister and I were technically only a year apart, so we were as close as any blood siblings. I could have lived like that forever."_

_Orihime reached up with one hand, gently touching Tsuki's cheek as she heard the wistfulness in the other woman's voice; Tsuki smiled but didn't open her eyes, content to stay in her current position. "So your mother gave you the pendant?" she asked softly._

"_I actually found it on the beach as a kid… and she made it a necklace for me. I don't think I've ever taken it off."_

_Tsuki laughed softly, trailing off here. It was obvious that despite the pain, she still had some joy in her memories of her old life, before everything had gone to hell and a dark gray wolf had ripped everything apart. Orihime bit her lip. "Tsuki-chan?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_What… what happened to your family?"_

_A moment of silence; then:_

"_You remember that dark gray wolf we saw earlier? Really big, long teeth, angry golden eyes?"_

"_Yes, clearly."_

"_That was my… that was my brother. His name is Tsume. You could probably tell, but he's pure wolf. We share the same father. He takes more after our father than I do. And he…"_

"_He what?"_

"_He… he killed my mother." A tremor entered the dark-haired woman's voice, and her eyes stung. "He killed my mom."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The first thing Chikane drowsily became aware of as she began to wake was that her alarm had failed to go off; an odd event on its own, considering that she remembered setting it before going to bed the night before. She blinked groggily and frowned a little in confusion.

The second thing she became aware of was that she was… extremely _warm_. Not so much that it was uncomfortable, but a bit more so than she could remember being in the past when she'd woken up. Indeed, this new and unusual warmth seemed nestled quite comfortably in her arms, more accurately against her chest and neck, for some odd reason that her foggy mind couldn't yet comprehend, still held in the mists of sleep.

The third thing she realized was the scent hanging around her; the scent of grass and the faded night air, the scent of the trees and the dirt, the very scent of the stars and the moon themselves, if they had a scent at all. It smelled wild, almost untamable, and finally she blinked and shifted her head slightly to get a clear look of its source.

She found it a moment later.

Himeko slept peacefully in her arms, her head tucked trustingly beneath Chikane's chin and her breathing deep and even, blowing warmly against Chikane's neck and occasionally stirring dark strands of hair.

_Well, hello, _Chikane thought, blinking a bit and slowly shifting so she was resting on her elbows, gently cradling Himeko and shifting so the other girl wasn't stirred; even despite this, Himeko still murmured unintelligently in her sleep and snuggled closer to Chikane, as though instinctively seeking her warmth.

_Okay then. _Chikane blew out a long breath and tried to ignore the heat rushing into her face, turning her cheeks bright red. _I won't move if you don't want me to._

A soft cough made the blue-haired girl look up, and she froze. "Mom."

"Good morning." Kazumi's eyes gleamed with good humor. "You didn't spend the night alone, I see."

Chikane turned, her mother deemed, about fifty different shades of red, several of which had no name. "I swear we didn't do anything. She, uh…" _She snuck out of the house so I followed her, and we saw some wolves dancing. It was incredible. Then we danced, too. _"She had a nightmare."

The younger girl gave quiet thanks for her lying skills, though it still made her guilty to lie to her mother; despite it she managed to keep a perfectly straight face as Kazumi's lips twitched. "A nightmare," the older woman repeated.

"Yeah."

"And she sought you out."

"Yeah." _Something like that._

The unspoken words hung thickly in the air; Kazumi smiled, leaning against the doorframe. "You two seem very close."

Chikane raised a brow, trying to ignore the way Himeko had managed to nuzzle closer—and only partially succeeding. "Does that bother you?"

"No." The smile never faded, not even an inch. "I think it's kind of cute, actually." _First love usually is, _she mused. "But Chikane…"

"Yes?"

"You need to remember." This time, the smile faded. "Sooner or later, she'll have to go home."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_The tears slipped out before Tsuki was even aware of them; growling softly under her breath she sat up sharply, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Damn," she murmured. "I'm sorry. I thought after all this time I could—"_

"_Don't apologize." Orihime gently rested her hand against the back of Tsuki's neck and pulled her back down so their foreheads were touching again, brushing the half wolf's tears away with her thumb. "You've done nothing wrong. If you want to stop…"_

"_She died in a fire." Tsuki's voice was abrupt and ragged. "By chance, a patrol of wolves had glimpsed me while I was out with Kaz—my sister, I used to call her that all the time, she hated it—on my sixteenth birthday. Technically I was the firstborn, and therefore the rightful heir to my father's pack; something my brother knew and despised."_

_She trailed off, blowing out a long breath and nuzzling quietly into Orihime's hair for a moment, drawing in the light-haired woman's scent. It was comforting, and kept her grounded, at least partially so._

"_He divided his pack into two teams; he sent one group after Kaz and I, and he led the other that killed Mom. That… that was when I realized I was a wolf." Her voice softened to almost a whisper. "When they attacked, they immediately went for Kaz because she was human; she would be easier for them to kill. I panicked. I had to protect her. I lost control… and I became a wolf. And I killed them." Her tears began to fall again, the horror of her first kill sweeping through her. "I killed them before they killed Kaz."_

"_Did she…?"_

"_She was shocked. I was covered in blood and fur. I was a wolf. She was shocked. And she grabbed me and hugged me." Tsuki smiled through her tears. "I was a wolf, I had black fur and I was completely covered in blood, and she grabbed me and hugged me so tightly I thought she'd crush me. We were still sisters." She closed her eyes. "Even to the bitter end, we were still sisters."_

_By the look of her now, at least as a human, Orihime guessed Tsuki was by now at least twenty for a human; which meant that the events she spoke of now had only passed about four years ago. Once again she brushed away Tsuki's tears, not minding their wetness. "Tsuki-chan," she whispered._

"_It didn't take us long to figure out that if we'd been attacked, then Mom was probably next. I was small—my form was only that of a two year old at the time, barely past a year—but I was fast, and I led Kaz back to our house. When we found it… it was completely encased in flames."_

_Even now, Tsuki could recall the moment with crystal clarity; the scent of smoke and burning wood, the faint stench of scorched flesh, the heat of the flames, the bright oranges and reds. She remembered the sound of Kaz's scream. She remembered how the fire had teased at her fur, had burned her paws and legs as she tore through the ruins of their home, heedless of it all, howling for her mother._

"_They'd already killed her," she murmured. "I found her body, and they'd already killed her. Tore her throat out. They'd burned the house, everything in it, to show the power they had over me. She'd still been alive when they'd set it; they'd torn her throat out as the fire took shape and left her there to burn." Rage and hatred filled her voice. "They could take on a human form, after all, and what better way to leave their mark?" She laughed coldly, bitterly, narrowing her eyes._

"_I was young, and stupid, but Tsume made the ultimate mistake. He shaped my time as a wolf with fire, and blood, and death. Right off the bat, that was all I knew. And it was enough to make me hate him. It was enough to make me leave Kaz behind, to pursue him into the forest and face him." She smirked. "Of course, being that I had only just discovered my wolf heritage, I knew next to nothing about it."_

"_What happened?"_

"_He and his group ripped me apart." Tsuki said it casually, as though it had been expected all along. "I was foolish, and he was skilled and strong. The irony of it was, at the end of the night, we were actually the same age as wolves. I was older than him by fourteen years, but my wolf body was two years old—just as his was." She shrugged, feeling calmer now. "His group had their fun with me, left me bloody and bruised, and probably figured I'd die in the rain with their plan working perfectly."_

"_But you're alive and successful, four years later." Orihime grinned up at her._

"_Indeed." Tsuki smiled back, being the one this time around to bring their lips together for a chaste kiss. "Because my brother, for all his calculating and plotting, didn't figure on one lone gentle giant passing through the area that night."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Considering that her mother had actually taken pity on her and was allowing her to stay home from school ("Just for today, though… I doubt Kurusugawa -san would let you go, anyway.") and that she had no intentions of moving until Himeko woke, Chikane simply lay there beside the other girl and let her mind wander.

And as it was, all her thoughts kept circling back to the sleeping girl beside her.

Now that she thought about it, Chikane realized she knew next to nothing about Himeko's home or the people in it. The only time the light-haired girl had ever mentioned such a place had been when she'd said Makoto's name, and even then Chikane still didn't exactly know the nature of her relationship with the other girl.

Himeko's unwillingness to speak of her home was probably natural, considering her circumstances, but it still nagged at Chikane like a fly buzzing around her head. Never once had she mentioned her parents, any uncles or aunts or cousins, siblings or friends.

And the fact was, sooner or later she'd have to return to that. To something she never spoke of, something Chikane knew nothing about.

_Maybe she doesn't have a family…_

The thought flitted briefly through the dark-haired girl's mind before quietly fading away like a passing shadow, almost as though she'd never thought of it at all. She sighed, quietly running a hand through Himeko's hair and delighted when the girl didn't pull away from her touch.

She knew nothing about Himeko. Nothing at all. Getting her feeling involved in the whole matter would just make things messy and very, very painful when the time came for Himeko to return home.

Chikane bit back a groan, just lowered her head and gently touched her forehead to Himeko's, sighing.

"Too late for that," she murmured.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Orihime smiled slightly. "I take it that's another name for your Rakuen?"_

"_Much to his everlasting annoyance, but it suits him perfectly."_

_Fondness had seeped into Tsuki's voice at the thought of the large golden wolf who had taken her in and guided her through her first days as a wolf; even now he was just as important to her as he'd been at the beginning._

"_He was a lone wolf at the time, just passing through the area; he's two years older than me by wolf years, so he was about four back then. He stumbled on me not long after my brother fled with his pack. Even now I don't know why he took me in… he carried me to a cave and nursed me back to health. I was a stranger to him, but he still took me in." Tsuki rubbed the back of her neck, baffled even now. "He basically taught me everything I know; where to hunt, how to fight, so on and so forth. When I decided to try and establish the Heads system of leading, I chose him as the First Head of my pack. He's never doubted me."_

"_You must really love each other."_

"_He's been everything to me these last four years. My father, my brother, my best friend. He's always been there for me, and never once did he complain." Tsuki closed her eyes. "I've never paid him back for any of it. Never."_

_Orihime hesitated, then lifted her hand to gently stroke Tsuki's cheek._

"_Maybe…" She hesitated, then plunged on. "Maybe, by being who you are today, maybe that's enough for him. Knowing that he helped you become that way. I think… I think he's satisfied with that."_

_Tsuki didn't reply, but the small smile she gave Orihime was enough._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko stirred, making Chikane blink and quickly pull away, establishing some distance between the pair; she wasn't sure how the other girl would react to such closeness. She didn't have to wait long, as Himeko slowly opened her eyes; they were still a little cloudy from sleep, and she took a moment to rub at them with the back of her hand before smiling sleepily at Chikane. "Morning, Chikane-chan," she murmured.

Chikane couldn't fight the smile even if she tried. "Good morning, Himeko."

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Himeko frowned a little in confusion, propping up on her elbows.

"Mom gave me the day off. I told her you snuck in because of a nightmare. I figured the truth would be a bit of a problem."

The golden-haired girl winced accordingly to that, closing her eyes; and then, much to Chikane's shock and delight, leaned in and rested her cheek trustingly against the crook of the dark-haired girl's neck. "Sorry," she murmured, her voice slightly muffled. "You probably didn't like lying to her. I'm really sorry, Chikane-chan."

"It, ah…" Chikane's mouth had gone notably dry. "It's okay. She didn't ask for anything else, so… it wasn't so hard." She swallowed gamely and prayed Himeko wouldn't notice the heat radiating from her face. She tried a shot in the dark. "I mean, you probably lie to your parents every now and then, right?"

There was a long moment of silence; then:

"My parents are dead."

Chikane blinked, shifting slightly to look down, but Himeko didn't pull away despite her soft confession. Her eyes softened slightly. "I… hey, I'm sorry," she murmured. "I didn't know—"

"It's not your fault, Chikane-chan. I've never really told you about them, so… you wouldn't know. I mean, they died when I was young, anyway…"

_But it still hurts, _Chikane thought wordlessly, noting the tremor that had come into Himeko's voice at the mention of her parents. "Are you alone, then?"

"Well… no… I have Mako…" There was a pause, then Himeko added, "She's my cousin."

"Oh." _Thank you, God._

"Yeah. I mean… she's my best friend, you know? But that's about it. My big sister. She always calls me her little sister, though we're cousins. We're just family."

"A small one."

"That's just if you count by blood, Chikane-chan."

There was a moment of silence as Chikane mulled this over; she sighed, turning her head so her own cheek was nestled against the top of Himeko's head. "You're doing it again," she murmured.

"Doing what?"

"Talking like a wolf." The blue-haired girl blew out a long breath. "My father says that wolves consider all members of their pack their family, though they might not be related by blood."

Himeko processed this quietly, never bothering to pull away from Chikane; due to their position Chikane couldn't see the other girl's face, but she felt rather than saw Himeko close her eyes, felt her warm breath against her neck as she sighed softly. "Himeko?" she asked timidly, not sure what was going through the girl's head.

"What makes wolves so different from humans?"

"Excuse me?"

"What makes wolves so different from humans?" Himeko repeated softly. "They're both the same. They both love their families. They both play and frolic around. They love each other, are devoted to each other. So why do they treat each other like they're different?"

"Because… well, they _are _different. Wolves… wolves are dangerous. They're huge, with teeth and claws and golden eyes. They can shift from their own forms to that of a human in the blink of an eye. Wolves _kill _people." Chikane's voice softened. "Wolves killed my aunts. Both of them."

"Both?"

"A wolf killed my father's sister… and also killed my mother's family."

Himeko pulled away at this, and for a moment Chikane wondered if she had angered the light-haired young woman; but her eyes, when they looked at each other, were sad and appeared much, much older than they truly were.

"Wolves do kill," she said softly, "and sometimes they kill ruthlessly. But very few are like the one who killed your aunts and your grandparents."

"Just a grandmother."

"My point is, wolves rarely kill for the hell of it." Her eyes darkened. "When a wolf kills, they kill with the intent of protecting their own family. Just as humans do."

"Himeko…"

"So I ask again: what makes wolves so different from humans?"

They gazed at each other for a moment, neither sure of exactly what to say, knowing that something had shifted in their relationship; after a moment Chikane lowered her head and rested it on Himeko's shoulder, turning her face into the other girl's throat as Himeko closed her eyes and rested her cheek against her dark hair.

"Himeko." Chikane's voice shook slightly. "Where are you planning to go?"

Himeko bit her lip as tears stung her eyes. "A place you can't follow."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_They traveled on horseback that afternoon, and it was the only time Tsuki ever took on her wolf form again. Wolf legs kept pace easily, and she loped beside Orihime's horse without any apparent effort. It was she who picked up the scent of blood as they rode, and it was she who tugged Orihime's pant sleeve gently to make her stop. "What is it, Tsuki-chan?" she asked, reining her horse in._

"_**I smell blood up ahead."**_

"_Wolves?" Sakura narrowed her eyes, trotting her horse up to Tsuki's other side._

"_**Most likely, yes." **__Tsuki woofed softly. __**"I need to pick up the scents to be sure of who, but yes, we're probably walking in on bloodshed after battle."**_

_Orihime nodded, reining her horse in to let Tsuki race on ahead; when there was a suitable distance, she signaled briefly to Sakura before following the black half wolf._

_Tsuki was already sniffing at streaks of blood in the grass when Orihime pulled her horse to a stop; Sakura trotted to the black wolf's side, noting the way her fur bristled faintly. "Recognize 'em, Blackie-chan?"_

"_**Tsuki." **__The black wolf flicked her ear briefly as Sakura grinned __**"And I do, unfortunately. Tsume's scent… probably his wolves. About four or five of them, enough for a hunting party."**_

"_Were they chasing prey?" Orihime rode closer, frowning._

"_**It's possible, but this is weird… by the scent, Tsume was here, too." **__Tsuki furrowed her brow in confusion. __**"It isn't like him. My brother doesn't usually bother with things like leading a hunt. So what exactly were they hunting that would catch my brother's interest like this?"**_

_Shaking her head, Tsuki walked away from the streaks of blood and headed for the other spill in the area; a large puddle of blood, dark and already beginning to dry on the grass. The blood streaks had come from this area, indicating that the prey had been bleeding prior to being caught and dragged down by Tsume's wolves._

_And it had still fought, Orihime thought in awe, seeing how the blood was spread out and the grass was crushed. More blood covered the grass around the large puddle, indicating that the prey had managed to make its pursuers bleed, at least a little bit. "My God," she whispered as Tsuki lowered her head to catch a scent of the blood, "what were they hunting?"_

"_Whatever it was," Sakura muttered, eyeing the fighting area with narrow eyes, "it definitely gave them one hell of a fight, blood loss or no blood loss."_

_Tsuki gave no reply, still sniffing the blood intently as though trying to catch the scent of whatever it was her brother and his wolves had hunted. She froze; her eyes widened slightly and the fur along her back and neck began to bristle again. __**"No," **__she whispered weakly._

"_Tsuki-chan?"_

_Then, to Orihime's shock, the black wolf shot off, running as fast as her paws would allow; Orihime glanced worriedly at Sakura before urging her horse after the black half wolf, heart pounding._

_The horses were fast, but Tsuki was urged on by terror and shock, urged on by fear and denial and a desperate, sick hope that she was wrong; the two hunters soon lost sight of their black-furred companion, but the horses had her scent and followed it easily, obviously knowing where she was going._

"_**NO!!"**_

_Tsuki's anguished howl tore through Orihime's head like a bullet, and for a moment the light-haired woman flinched in pain, narrowing her eyes as pain exploded in her head. Hissing through clenched teeth she swung off her horse and ran, hearing Sakura follow her. "Tsuki-chan!" she called. "Tsuki-chan, what's wrong?!"_

_The black half wolf had followed the blood to a large tree in the forest, but Orihime could see that at this point Tsuki had assumed her human form. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks, and when she looked at Orihime her blue eyes were stricken._

_In her arms she cradled a large golden wolf, his fur bloody and numerous wounds slashing along his shoulders, neck, sides, and belly. Orihime felt her heart drop into her stomach as Sakura stumbled to her side._

"_Rakuen," Tsuki whispered numbly, lowering her head and speaking softly into the motionless wolf's ear. "Rakuen, big guy, come on." More tears began to fall. "You're still alive. I know you are. Rakuen. Rakuen!!"_

_Orihime gently pushed Tsuki away from the golden male, lowering her head to his muzzle; she felt the weak puff of his breath against her ear, and when she pressed her hand to his chest his fur still felt warm, and his heartbeat was still steady, and she swallowed when she pulled her hand back and found it slick and warm with fresh blood._

"_He's bleeding to death." Orihime forced her voice not to shake and looked at Tsuki. "He's lost a lot of blood, and he's still losing it. He's still alive, but not by much. We need to get him somewhere, get his wounds cleaned up."_

"_And he'll be okay?" Tsuki's voice shook, her eyes pleading._

"_I don't know." Orihime bit her lip as Tsuki gathered the golden wolf into her arms again, burying her face into his fur with a soft sob. "I'm sorry, Tsuki-chan. I just don't know."_

_Tsuki didn't reply, and her body shook as she wept openly into Rakuen's bloody fur._

"_Rakuen, please…"_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Yeah, more focused on Orihime/Tsuki this time around... for a reason. Their story is nearing its end, with Chikane and Himeko caught in the aftermath.

Quick note, "Kaz" is not actually the name of Tsuki's adopted sister. It is, as she mentioned earlier, a nickname. Have fun figuring it out, and once again Tsuki was _not _related to her family by blood...

Read and review, please!


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer_: Don't own, as usual, and I hereby dub this chapter "the chapter in which a lot of angsting takes place and revelations occur".

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 11_

"_Suddenly I become part of your past  
__I'm becoming the part that don't last  
__I'm losing you and it's effortless."_

-The Fray

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

There was a battle waging silently in Himeko's head.

The war had stirred sometime during the morning after waking beside Chikane, and it showed no signs of abetting in the near future. She groaned softly and massaged her temples, hoping to soothe the ache beginning to build.

It was simple. She was suffering a crisis of conscious (or identity, she could easily take her pick), and her wolf side was at odds with her human side. Her wolf side reminded her—fiercely and insistently—that she was _not _human, she could _never _make Chikane understand her way of things, and she was better off just giving up and letting the hunter drown. Her human side, on the other hand, was feeling especially sympathetic for the young hunter.

"Ah, damn…" Himeko closed her eyes, wincing.

As much as she hated to think of it, her time as a human was running out. She had to learn whatever else she had left to learn, and leave.

She was a wolf. Nothing could change that.

"_A place you can't follow."_

"Still…" Himeko laughed softly. "It would be nice if Chikane-chan _could _follow… even if I know… she never will be able to…"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_He can take on a human form, right?"_

_Tsuki glanced up from Rakuen to look at Orihime, and for a moment her eyes were blank; then she blinked and nodded, understanding. "Yeah. Yeah, he can, but it might be harder because of his wounds." She ran a hand through Rakeun's fur, the golden wolf's head resting on her lap._

"_I know, but if he's human it's easier for me to tend to his wounds."_

"_Got it. Hold on…"_

_Tsuki leaned down, whispering softly into Rakuen's ear; Orihime couldn't hear what she said, but a brief shudder ran through the large male's body and he flicked his ear as though in acknowledgement. And slowly, whimpering softly in pain but still doing it, he shifted from wolf to human._

"_That's my boy," Tsuki whispered._

_For a moment Orihime paused and swept her eyes over Rakuen, absorbing what she saw. His hair was long and fell down his back, the same gold as his fur and tangled with sweat and blood. His skin, in sharp contrast, was a rich, chocolate color and muscles rippled faintly beneath his skin as he drew breath. His eyes were barely slits, and she could just make out twin flashes of dark gray._

"_Okay." She leaned forward, gently rubbing the healing ointment into one of the many wounds slashing along Rakuen's body. "That makes my job easier. Thank you, Rakuen-kun."_

_For a long moment Tsuki watched Orihime, and felt her eyes soften; Rakuen coughed softly in gentle amusement, and she whacked him lightly over the head before leaning down, so they were eye-to-eye. __**"What happened?" **__she asked mentally, making sure to create a mental block so Orihime couldn't hear them; this wasn't something she wanted the light-haired hunter to worry about._

"_**We were attacked. By Tsume and his pack." **__Rakuen knew what she was doing and respected it, also keeping sure to block the conversation from Orihime. __**"They took advantage of your absence and sneak attacked a hunting party, chased them back to the pack home."**_

_A chill ran down Tsuki's spine. __**"How many? How many dead?"**_

"_**I'm not sure yet; I fled in the hope that I could lead some of our pursuers away, after me. I am the First Head and close to you, after all." **__Rakuen's dark gray eyes gleamed briefly. __**"I figured Tsume hates me just as much as he hates you, and it worked. He gave up the attack to chase after me with his wolves."**_

"_**You idiotic, golden-furred moron." **__Tears welled in Tsuki's eyes, and she pressed her forehead to his, ignoring the warmth of his blood. __**"Did it ever occur to you that he could have killed you? What would have happened if I found your dead body, huh?"**_

"_**You would have survived. Grieved, but survived."**_

"_**You don't know that." **__Tsuki blew out a long, ragged breath. __**"You don't fucking know that. Dammit, Rakuen, you're my everything. I wouldn't have anything left if I lost you."**_

"_**What about…?"**_

"_**I don't want Orihime involved in this." **__Her voice was soft, but sharp. __**"She's human, and I won't have another human's blood staining my hands. Not another. Not her blood."**_

"_**She'd do it for you in a heartbeat, you know." **__Rakuen curved his lips in a smile, grimacing as Orihime applied more healing ointment. _

"_**I know. And that's why I'm not letting her hear any of this."**_

"_**Ah…"**_

_They sat in silence for a moment, Tsuki lifting her head again to track Orihime with her eyes; she couldn't help it, and if Orihime asked, she'd just blame a wolf's instinct of being overprotective of their mate. Such a thing would probably make Orihime turn bright red, and Tsuki always found it hopelessly cute. Even now the light-haired hunter was flushing lightly, perfectly aware of Tsuki's eyes._

"_**What did my brother want?" **__she asked after a moment, tearing her eyes away from Orihime and pretending not to notice the teasing smirk on Rakuen's face. __**"He wouldn't just attack my pack without a good reason."**_

"_**You're right, I'm afraid. I'm a bearer of a message." **__Rakuen narrowed his eyes. __**"Tsume told me that if I survived, by some miracle, I was to tell you that your time was running out. He wants to end it in the clearing, where he burned down 'your pitiful excuse for a human pack'. His words, not mine," **__he added hastily, seeing the pain and fury flash anew in Tsuki's eyes. _

"_**So he wants a battle to the death." **__Her eyes hardened. __**"It's not enough for him that he's attacked me at that clearing whenever I try to pay respects, but he thinks he can spill my blood there, as well."**_

"_**Afraid so. He didn't say when, though, so you have a little time."**_

"_**A little time, huh?"**_

_Tsuki frowned and slowly closed her eyes._

_A little time. She knew what to do with it._

"_**Rakuen, I need to speak to you later tonight. When Orihime and Sakura are both asleep."**_

"_**Very well."**_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_A place you can't follow."_

The arrow whistled through the air, missing its intended target by a mile and burying its head into a nearby tree with a soft _thunk_; Chikane narrowed her eyes and growled in frustration, relaxing her grip and lowering her bow as she ran a hand through her hair. Muttering under her breath, she crossed the training area in long strides and pulled the arrow out of the tree.

Her aim was off today.

_What the hell did she mean, anyway? _Chikane frowned, heading back to set up and try again. _I mean… I know it wasn't exactly the best question to ask her and it probably made no sense, but what did she mean by that? _She drew the arrow, narrowing her eyes and trying to push Himeko out of her mind.

_Where is she going, and why can't I follow?_

She stood for a moment, focusing on the target with narrow eyes; she took a deep breath.

… _Why… can't she just stay here with me?_

She released the arrow sharply, and a high whistling sound pierced her ears as the arrow head slashed through the air, moving fast and hard, urged on by the strength of her anger and hurt and confusion.

_Thunk._

It landed—once more—in the tree, and not the target beside it.

Her aim was way, way off today.

Cursing under her breath now, Chikane stalked to the tree and once more pulled the arrow free, ignoring her aching muscles. Target hit or no target hit, this was an _excellent _way of relieving stress.

From the window, Himemiya Kazumi watched her daughter take her frustration out with her bow and arrow, her blue eyes dark and her mouth turned down in a frown; after a moment, she turned and walked away, leaving Chikane to her whirling emotions.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_The moon had risen into the center of the sky when Tsuki dared to stir; moving slowly she rose from her usual resting place, stretching for a moment and letting the night air breeze through her fur; only at night, when it was time to sleep, did she ever take on her wolf form again. It was the perfect way to snuggle as close to Orihime as she liked at the moment, nestling her head onto Orihime's arm while the hunter's other arm went around her neck._

_Tsuki placed her paws carefully, not wanting to wake Orihime, and to her relief the other woman never even stirred as the black half wolf slowly left her grasp and headed for the tree they had taken shelter under for the night, where Rakuen was. Her heart ached with the knowledge of what she was about to ask of her old friend, and guilt gnawed at her belly._

_But she had to do it._

_The large golden male had obviously been expecting her, for his nose twitched at her scent and he slowly sat up, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight; he was bandaged now thanks to Orihime and moved a bit slower than he would have liked, but he was still alive. Tsuki took a moment to gently brush muzzles with him, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent._

_He would do this for her; she was confident of that. Their bond was too powerful for him not to._

"_**What did you need to talk to me about?" **__he asked softly, pulling away and gazing at her._

"_**Tsume intends to kill me, but he's made a mistake." **__She sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws and keeping her ears perked to listen for Orihime or Sakura. __**"He's given me time; I don't know how much, but he's still given me time. I might not survive our battle, but I will kill him, even if it costs me my life." **__She waved her tail to silence Rakuen before he could protest. __**"And you know, as well as I do, that this can only end with both of us dead."**_

"_**Tsuki…"**_

"_**Do you remember, Rakuen, that long ago night after Orihime first healed me? When you told me about the worries of our fellow Heads?" **__Her eyes were calm, almost black in the moonlight._

"_**Yes." **__He understood; she could see it in his gaze. __**"About continuing your bloodline."**_

"_**At the time, I didn't want it." **__Tsuki looked away, gazing at her paws now. __**"And to be honest with you… I love Orihime. I want her as my mate. I want a life with her, Rakuen."**_

"_**I know."**_

"_**But we… we could never have pups." **__Her voice shook now as the weight of what she was about to do fully hit her. __**"No one even knows I've been with her. The Heads would never accept her as my mate, even if she was a wolf. And I know that for peace to be established, wolves of my blood must still be in the world. Even if they don't know they are of my blood… they still need to exist." **_

"_**Tsuki." **__Rakuen's voice was soft, and he brushed his muzzle along her neck, trying to soothe her even as he knew her next words._

"_**Back then, I said I would choose the father if I ever had pups." **__Her voice was just above a whisper now. __**"Rakuen… you've been my everything since the beginning. My father, my brother, my best friend. If I ever had to be with a male… it would be you. I know what I'm asking you, though I'm not in love with you."**_

"_**If it's any consolation, I'm not in love with you either."**_

"_**Good to know." **__She laughed softly even as tremors began to course through her. __**"I know what I'm asking of you… and I understand if you don't want to give it to me. I only ask you this… because…"**_

_What she planned to say next was abruptly cut off as, in the blink of an eye and ignoring the pain that flashed through his body, Rakuen became human and pulled her into his arms; she tumbled into his embrace, making the change just as quickly as he had, and buried her face into the crook of his neck, sobbing brokenly as he soothingly ran his fingers through her hair, down her back. Her arms came around his neck and she curled into his arms like a child seeking comfort, letting her tears fall._

"_**I can never say no to you," **__he murmured, keeping their mental link strong as she wept. __**"You know that as well as I do."**_

"_**I'm sorry, Rakuen." **__Her voice was thick with tears. __**"I'm so, so sorry."**_

"_**Don't apologize for being in love."**_

"_**One more day. I just need one more day."**_

"_**Yeah." **__He rested his cheek against her hair and closed his eyes, letting her pain pour into him, letting her tears warm his skin. And he wished he could take it all away, like he'd always been able to in the past. __**"I know."**_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Little men were pounding away merrily at her skull with picks, and Himeko was ready to run into the forest and become wolf again, if only to remember where her loyalties were _supposed _to lay. But memories of waking in Chikane's arms kept her at bay, and she settled instead for prowling around her room like a restless, caged animal.

Not that it helped much, but whatever.

Knowing that Chikane was practicing some form of wolf hunting at the moment, Himeko wandered back to her bed and sat down before reaching under it, grabbing the large book she'd snatched from the library and pulling it out. She'd kept the book close by in case she ever needed to read it or just wanted to leaf through something out of pure boredom, and now seemed to be a good time to look through it again.

Surprisingly, Himeko had scanned much of the hunters section of the book but had never touched on the wolves section. The wolves section, she knew, wouldn't be nearly as detailed as the hunters—at the most it would probably contain pictures of wolves caught on film and whatever nickname a hunter had slapped onto them, nothing more.

Still, she had nothing better to do.

The first wolf she turned to was a large, white male, slim and muscular and appearing quite young; Himeko blinked several times for a moment, scanning her memory, before figuring that the wolf she looked at now was Tsubasa, minus a few years. He even had his other eye, she noted, and quickly checked the name he'd been given: _White Terror._

_Miyako disappeared at about the same time as the White Terror… yep, it's Tsubasa._

Smiling a little, Himeko continued to read. Most sightings were a few years old and contained none of her friends or herself, though she figured it was only a matter of time before they were added to the book merely for existing and not being human—she felt a quick flash of anger and brushed it aside, gritting her teeth.

The next wolf that caught Himeko's eye did so because he was staring _directly at _the camera, almost as though he was daring the human to take his picture. He was a large, muscular male, his eyes calm, with thick, bright gold fur. He sat calmly at ease, not seeming to mind the human's presence; checking his name, Himeko saw someone had seen fit to label him _Gentle Giant._

_Looks like it suits him, _she mused, studying the picture a moment longer. Her hair reflected the color of her fur, something between this male's bright gold fur and light brown, and she mused that given a few generations she could easily be related to this mysterious Gentle Giant that didn't seem to fear humans. Shrugging, she flipped to the next page.

And froze.

Someone had glimpsed Tsuki during her time in the woods and caught a quick snapshot of her; a slim black female, her head turned to the side as she surveyed her territory, the eye Himeko could see dark blue and focused. Beneath her picture someone had scribbled _Blue Moon_, though Himeko paid no mind to the ridiculous name.

No, what caught her eye was the pink shell pendant hanging around Tsuki's neck, and the fact that in this picture the Gentle Giant from before was also beside her, gazing in the same direction that she was, his head slightly higher than before. The same hunter had also jotted down his name before circling them both and drawing arrows to a common point.

_Mates?_

Slowly, trembling, Himeko's hand rose and closed over the pink shell pendant that hung around her neck—the same pendant, her father had told her, that had been passed down through her family for generations.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_Tsuki-chan? Is something wrong?"_

_The dark-haired woman smiled weakly, looking up from the stream. "What makes you say that, Orihime?"_

_Orihime frowned, sitting next to her. "I don't appreciate being lied to, you know," she murmured, looking at Tsuki with concerned eyes. "You were just looking at your reflection a moment ago like you'd just committed a crime or something." She lowered her voice. "Is it Rakuen?"_

"_No. He's fine. I just checked on him… he's a little slower than he'd like to be and sore, but he'll live." Tsuki forced the smile. "I'm just thinking about my pack, I suppose."_

"_Your pack?"_

"_Yeah. You know. I probably should go back soon… make sure they're in one piece. Take steps to ensure that this never happens again. The responsibilities of a Head."_

"_You're… thinking of leaving?" Orihime's voice had softened._

"_I have no choice… I'll have to, eventually." Tsuki bit her lip. "But… I'll try to come back. I won't just leave you like that." __**God, forgive me for lying to her. **__"So you don't have to worry about anything, you know I can't stay away from you—"_

_Tsuki's words trailed off into silence as Orihime lowered her head, gently resting her forehead against the dark-haired woman's shoulder and closing her eyes. Tsuki sat there for a moment before her eyes softened, and she turned slightly so her cheek was nestled against Orihime's hair._

"_I love you, you know," the golden-haired hunter murmured after a moment._

"_Yeah." Something inside Tsuki shattered into a thousand bleeding pieces. "I love you, too."_

_**I'm sorry, Orihime. Please… find it in your heart to forgive me someday…**_

_That night, once again, Tsuki waited until the moon rose before standing; for a moment she just gazed at Orihime, sleeping soundly, before lowering her head and gently touching her muzzle to the other woman's cheek, hoping to soothe the ache in her heart. "Tsuki-chan," Orihime murmured sleepily, and tearing herself away Tsuki fled the camp, heading for the trees._

_Rakuen had already headed there, and he slowly stood as Tsuki came to him, wincing and moving slowly due to his just closed wounds but still willing. For a moment, Tsuki buried her muzzle into his shoulder as her body shook with the tears her wolf form could not shed. __**"I'm doing the right thing," **__she whispered hoarsely, __**"aren't I, Rakuen?"**_

"_**Yes, you are."**_

"_**It hurts."**_

"_**I know."**_

"_**It really, really hurts."**_

"_**I know." **__He turned his head, nuzzling her neck. __**"I know, Tsuki."**_

"_**I need to stay away from the pack during my pregnancy. It's the only way to ensure the safety of the pups."**_

"_**I'll stay with you. And I'll tell my brother… Kiba. He'll be willing to help. He and his mate were together just last night, so…"**_

"_**Yes." **__She closed her eyes. __**"Rakuen… thank you. Thank you so much."**_

_They stood that way for a moment; Rakuen was the first to break contact, stepping back. __**"We need to go," **__he murmured, __**"before they wake up."**_

"_**Yes…"**_

_For a moment, Tsuki hesitated, gazing longingly at the camp, where she knew Orihime was; she closed her eyes, steeled herself, and forced herself to turn away, walking to the trees, knowing Rakuen was still too badly injured to run._

_After a moment, the golden wolf followed her._

_They both knew it was the beginning of the end._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

I'll just, uh... go burn in my little corner of Hell now. Yeah.

Read and review, please!


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: _Don't own, will never own...

_Author's Note: _Wolves are pregnant, to my knowledge, for about eight weeks (the time Tsuki goes missing). I also dub this chapter "the chapter in which the OCs begin to get killed off". Oh boy.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 12_

Chikane paused in surprise as Himeko swept past her, not even bothering to look at her when their shoulders bumped; the dark-haired girl frowned, turning. "Himeko?"

The other girl froze before slowly looking at her, smiling weakly. "Yes?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I just need to go out real quick."

"Out where?"

"Just… out. You know."

It was both the truth and a lie, and Chikane picked up the subtle difference that gave it away; she frowned, stepping closer to Himeko. "Actually, I don't."

"It's nothing for you to worry about." Himeko tilted her head back to meet Chikane's eyes, though the smile never left her lips. "It's something I need to do. I've figured out a few things and just need some confirmation."

"… You need who to do what now?"

The complete and utter confusion in Chikane's voice shattered the seriousness of the situation, and Himeko couldn't help but laugh; the laughter faded quickly, though, as did her smile. "Chikane-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember what I said this morning? About my going to a place where you can't follow?"

"Yes." Her eyes narrowed slightly.

For a moment the golden-haired girl standing before her seemed to backtrack, as though she was thinking about whatever it was she was about to do and what possible consequences it might have in the future; then she stepped closer to Chikane, lifting a hand.

"Consider this the first step down that path."

And in one fluid movement, Himeko cupped the back of Chikane's neck and brought the dark-haired girl's lips down onto hers.

It was a kiss meant to be quick, meant to leave an impression and a mark on the soul of the person on the receiving end, and it would have done the job quite nicely if Chikane had left it at that and let Himeko break it when she did; but, being who she was, she couldn't just let it end there. Anger and confusion was still hot in her veins, and all she sought now were answers.

But when she cupped Himeko's cheek and pressed her lips against the other girl's again, it was unmistakably gentle.

The first kiss, despite its shortness (intended or not) had been almost pained, angry, meant to bruise and leave its mark in a way that could not be ignored. The second kiss, despite the emotions it had been born from, was gentle—Chikane's mouth coaxed more than demanded, and against her will Himeko found herself responding, timidly, but still responding.

This had been a mistake. A big, big mistake. She knew that now, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

The kiss broke—albeit reluctantly—because both girls desperately needed to breathe a moment. Closing her eyes even as the tears began to fall, Himeko nuzzled into the crook of Chikane's neck for a moment, taking comfort in the hunter's warmth.

_Wolf hunter. A wolf hunter of Kannazuki Orihime's blood._

Oh, God. What a fool she was. Just like Tsuki.

"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "I'm so sorry, Chikane-chan."

With that, the light-haired girl tore out of the other's grasp and fled, running as fast as her legs could allow. Chikane stood frozen for a moment; her eyes widened, and she shot after the other girl. "Himeko! Himeko, _wait_!"

By the time she reached the door and stood outside, however, it was too late. Himeko was already gone.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_I'm gonna go patrol real quick before we settle down for the night. You okay with that?"_

_Orihime glanced up, frowning a little as Sakura paused by the trees, waiting for her stepsister's words. "I don't know, Sakura-chan," she said at last. "We just came here, and we don't know the territory that well. I might not get to you quickly if something comes up."_

_Smirking, Sakura crossed the camp grounds in long strides and gently tapped Orihime's nose. "What? Worried your sister can't handle herself in the dark?"_

_Smiling tiredly, Orihime hooked one arm around Sakura's neck and pulled her in to a light embrace. "Just because you're the only sister I have."_

"_We're not even related by blood." Sakura returned the hug, regardless._

"_When did that ever count?"_

"_Touché."_

_Despite everything, Orihime managed the laugh, weak and soft as it was; satisfied, Sakura pulled away, giving a strand of hair a gentle tug. "Come on, don't worry. I'll be fine. You never know." She closed one eye and smiled. "Maybe I'll find Blackie-chan and drag her back to you, right?"_

"_Maybe." Orihime smiled softly._

"_Well then. I'll keep an eye out."_

_Giving one last nod, Sakura turned away, heading for the trees and one hand resting trustingly against the gun strapped to her hip. For a moment Orihime felt a flash of fear; it had been nearly twelve weeks since Tsuki's disappearance, and something inside her didn't sit right with letting Sakura go off on her own this one time._

"_Sakura-chan, be careful," she called after the other woman. "I mean it."_

_Sakura chuckled in response, waving one hand carelessly over her shoulder to show she had heard Orihime's words. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she called back._

_With that, she vanished into the trees._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Instinct took place of logic; as soon as she was within the shadows of the trees, with the grass wet and cool beneath her feet, Himeko dropped her human skin and streaked toward the scent of the hunting party she'd detected just minutes earlier, her legs a blur and her eyes narrow. Muscles rippled beneath her fur as she easily tracked the hunting party, pushing her swirling emotions to the side; she'd deal with Chikane and the mess she'd left behind later. Right now, she had more important things to deal with.

As she drew closer and the scent became stronger Himeko slowed her frantic pace to a lope, announcing her presence with a howl so the leaders would know it was her and not a loner. She leaped easily over a small gathering of rocks and stumbled to a halt when she found herself touching noses with Kazuki. Nekoko stood a little ways behind him, with two other wolves. "Himeko?" His golden eyes widened in surprise, and Nekoko padded to his side. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"I have some questions about my heritage." Himeko met Kazuki's gaze evenly, urged on by the gentle weight of the shell pendant resting against her chest. "Questions I think the Heads can answer."

The large male slowly lowered his ears. "You figured it out, then."

"More or less."

For a moment Kazuki didn't reply; he tilted his head slightly to the side, speaking softly into Nekoko's ear; the light brown she-wolf frowned and narrowed her eyes before nodding, flicking her other ear before looking at Himeko.

"Well, come on, then."

"Aren't… aren't you hunting?"

"Want to join us?" Kazuki's eyes gleamed. "Just for a moment. You look stressed."

It was the most wonderful thing Himeko had heard in quite awhile, and she easily fell into place with her pack mates to continue the hunt.

Kazuki was right, anyway. It would clear her head, if only for a moment.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Rakuen lay on his stomach on a rock, his head resting on his paws and letting the sun soak into his fur as he dozed lightly, keeping his ears perked for any unusual sounds. The sun was beginning to set, casting the sky above in reds and oranges that melted in comparison to the large male's golden fur._

_A soft laugh and a playful yelp from the den made him open one eye, his lips curving slightly. Two female voices drifted from the darkness within, one lightly scolding the other who defended her puppy-like actions by saying she was just playing with her son._

_The scolding one was probably Hana, he mused, Kiba's mate. The one who was just playing with her son was most likely—_

"_She's a good mother."_

_The deep voice made Rakuen open his eyes and lift his head, looking up; his brother, Kiba, stood over him, a rabbit at his paws and his golden eyes unreadable. He glanced briefly at the den as the fading sunlight danced along his dark brown fur. "From what you'd told me, I was certain she'd abandon Haku after birth to Hana, but…"_

_The fur along Rakuen's shoulders bristled. "Just because she loves a human doesn't mean she'd leave her son behind."_

"_I just thought, you know, like mother like daughter—"_

_With a snarl Rakuen surged to his paws, and Kiba stumbled back hastily, slipping and nearly falling off the rock. "Any reason," he growled between clenched teeth, "why you're comparing Tsuki to someone who never even raised her?"_

"_Hey, come on, bro," Kiba whined pitifully, lowering his ears as he staggered to his paws. "I'm just saying, you know?"_

"_I know." Fury still coursing through his veins, Rakuen sat down with narrow eyes. "But that's no excuse."_

_Properly scolded, Kiba lowered his head to retrieve the rabbit before bounding into the den, not even capable of meeting his older brother's eyes. Still seething, Rakuen focused his gaze on the trees and tried to calm his breathing and relax his muscles. He blinked in surprise as a dark muzzle quietly brushed his shoulder. "Tsuki."_

"_You okay, big guy?" Her dark blue eyes were concerned as she gazed at her old friend._

"_Could be better, I'll admit." He blew out a long breath. "Sorry you had to hear that."_

"_It doesn't bother me, you know." She licked his ear. "And Kiba doesn't know me as well as you do."_

"_Still."_

_Tsuki laughed softly, pulling away and standing; the pink shell pendant around her neck gleamed in the dying sunlight. "I need to go back in. Haku gets anxious if I'm gone for too long." She brushed her tail briefly against Rakuen's shoulder before vanishing into the den again. Rakuen watched her go before looking back to the landscape, his eyes softening slightly at the thought of Haku._

_The pup's birth had been more out of necessity than love, but it did nothing to lessen the devotion and love Rakuen and Tsuki had for their son. Haku, Tsuki sometimes joked, was the best of both of them; possessing his mother's black fur and his father's golden eyes, he was a gentle, soft-spoken pup who wouldn't hurt a fly and who was constantly tripping over his paws, which promised to one day fit his large, muscular adult body._

_Of course, when Tsuki said this, Rakuen knew for a fact that she was referring to how Haku had taken more after his father than his mother._

_A muffled sound made him blink, and his ears swiveled forward. The sound came again, still muffled by the trees but at the same time—just a little clearer. He narrowed his eyes. Gunshots? He slowly stood._

"_Rakuen." Tsuki was back at the entrance, Haku huddled between her paws, his eyes wide and uncertain._

"_I'll be right back," the golden wolf said, looking at her briefly. "I just need to check this out real quick. Make sure it's not some hunter who's straying a little too close."_

"_Daddy's gonna make the bad guys go away?" Haku's eyes lit up._

"_Yeah." Rakuen's eyes softened. "That's right, champ."_

"_Good luck, Daddy!"_

_Nodding briefly, looking at Tsuki one last time, Rakuen leaped down from the rock and raced for the trees._

_His body was large but lean, and he moved quickly and silently as darkness began to fall and stars speckled the sky above. In only a matter of minutes he'd reached the area of the gunshots; not the clearing that Tsuki so often visited in memory of her human mother, but a smaller clearing with a small creek slashing through the silver night grass._

_In the moonlight, cut jagged by the trees, he saw a human man standing in the grass, a gun in his hand. At his feet lay the huddled form of a young woman, the strap on her hip notably empty. Then her hair caught the silver light, gleamed as she shifted weakly and groaned._

_Rakuen's heart dropped into his paws. He established the mental link without realizing it._

"_**SAKURA!"**_

_Hearing his anguished howl, the man looked up. His blue hair gleamed black in the moonlight, and he bared his teeth in a cold grin as his golden eyes flashed._

_Laughing softly, Tsume lowered his hand and let Sakura's gun fall from his fingers. It hit the grass with a dull, muffled thud._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The hunt was less of a hunt and more of a patrol, when Himeko was brutally honest with herself; it didn't change the fact that after a few minutes of running with her pack mates and heading home with them, she felt almost like a wolf again.

The feeling lasted until they pushed through the bush; when Kazuki gently brushed her shoulder with his tail and she saw Nekoko's eyes, she knew it was time to remember her journey. Nodding quietly she slipped after the two Heads, keeping her head low and refusing to let her body relax again. As they entered the clearing where the other Heads were, she instinctively headed for the grass as Kazuki and Nekoko bounded into their places.

"Himeko." Tsubasa blinked. "This is a surprise."

The golden she-wolf bit back the sarcastic comment that flew into her throat and closed her eyes for a moment, hissing a breath out between clenched teeth. She forced her fur to lay flat. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up, glancing at each of the Heads; her eyes softened slightly when she saw Souma, but her resolve never wavered.

"How long have you known that Makoto and I are descendants of Tsuki?" She didn't even hesitate at the thought of adding her cousin's name. It was the truth; if she was related to Tsuki, then Makoto would be, too.

The silence was so deafening Himeko could have sworn it almost crushed her; Souma whipped his head around to stare at his fellow Heads, eyes wide, but the older wolves barely even flinched from Himeko's gaze. "So you figured it out," Tsubasa rumbled at last.

"Yes. How long have you known?" Her eyes were dark, like twin suns. "Somehow I have a hard time buying that 'we just found it' news you've been shoving down other wolves' throats."

Miyako brushed Tsubasa's shoulder with her nose. "We've known all along, Himeko." Her voice was soft. "We only just chose to reveal it because we feel it might play a role later on."

"Why?" She let the fury fill her voice. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"What would you have gained from knowing?" Reiko's voice was firm, but just as soft as Miyako's. "Had all wolves known who you were you and Makoto would have been hounded from birth, expected to follow in Tsuki's paw prints. You never would have had a life of your own, or a way to live it. If it had been revealed long ago, you both would have been shaped by her life and not your own."

Himeko forced her fur to lay flat; some of the anger ran dry, but she had one last concern to voice before submitting to the Heads. She narrowed her eyes and sat up a little straighter. "Do you know Chikane Himemiya is of Kannazuki blood?" she asked softly.

"_That _we didn't know." She saw the surprise come into Tsubasa's good eye. "Chikane Himemiya is related to Orihime Kannazuki?"

"She's her niece."

In the silence that followed as the Heads processed this new bit of information, Himeko looked at her paws and closed her eyes, trying not to shake.

She didn't know much about the past—she certainly hadn't been there to see any of it happen. But somehow, she had the feeling that at some point Orihime and Tsuki had crossed paths, even if only temporarily.

And now, sixteen years later, their descendants were doing it again.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_Do you know her?" Tsume chuckled, turning back briefly to nudge the still Sakura with his foot. "How nice. You're my sister's favorite, aren't you? Her 'gentle giant'?" His eyes gleamed coldly._

_He was speaking out loud, not even bothering to create the mental link between them; Rakuen felt a snarl rising in his throat and bared his teeth. __**"Why did you do this?"**_

"_Why? Don't you mean how?" He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Well, the how is easy… I just got her gun from her. Shot her in the struggle, though. Not my fault." He closed one eye, smirking. "Shot her a second time. 'Cause I felt like it."_

"_**Bastard!"**_

_Tsume turned his attention back to Sakura for a moment, studying her quietly. "She's the companion of that human woman my sister is so interested in, isn't she?" His eyes gleamed again as he looked up at Rakuen again. "I wonder what they'll both do when they find her. Perhaps I can kill three birds with one stone, eh?"_

_That did it; the thin rein of control Rakuen still had up to this point snapped, and with a snarl he surged forward. Tsume had expected it, had known, and for a moment all the golden wolf saw was a blur of movement as Tsume dove to the ground, grabbing the gun and whipping it around—_

_Pain exploded in his chest, and the large golden male stumbled to a dead halt, his eyes widening as his body began to shake. The pain faded slightly, burning almost, and slowly spread throughout his entire body. The world dimmed and spun before his eyes as his strength began to fade, and dimly he felt something warm and wet soaking into the fur of his chest._

_Rakuen tumbled silently into the grass._

_For a moment Tsume stared at the large golden mass of fur, holding the still smoking gun in his hand. "Oh, this is rich," he murmured, walking over and kneeling next to Rakuen's body. "A pack of wolves can't drag you down, but one shot sends you to the grass. How ironic." He bared his teeth in a cruel grin as Rakuen slowly opened his eyes, looking at him through cloudy golden orbs. "Still alive?" Tsume shifted, smirking. "Well, this might be a bit much, but better safe than sorry, right?"_

_With that, faster than Rakuen's eyes could comprehend, Tsume shifted from a blue-haired young man to a dark gray wolf; his jaws were a blur._

_The sound of ripping flesh filled the air, and blood splattered the grass._

_And as clouds gathered overhead, blotting out the light of the stars and the moon, it began to rain._

_With another groan, Sakura slowly rolled over, focusing her fading vision on the large golden wolf that lay on his side before her, blood spilling from the bullet wound to his chest and gushing from his torn throat. And yet, he was still alive—just barely, though, by the glazed look in his golden eyes._

_Then again, she wasn't one to talk; she felt her own blood, seeping through her clothes, and slowly closed her eyes. She probably didn't have much longer, either. A soft rustle of movement made her open her eyes again, and she blinked in shock as Rakuen groggily staggered to his paws, held up by only sheer willpower. "Hey," she rasped, ignoring how weak her voice sounded. "You shouldn't be…"_

"_**Just… shut up…"**_

_Rakuen weaved, staggered as more blood spilled; but he began to limp toward her, blood dripping to the grass with each step he took. The rain soaked into his fur, chilling him to the bone and already making him feel dead. He focused on Sakura and kept walking, despite the pain and the blood and the cold rain falling all around them._

"_You're killing yourself faster, you know," Sakura muttered, coughing up a little blood; despite her near death state, her eyes were still sharp and alert._

"_**You… you wanna… die alone…?"**_

"… _Good point…"_

_It took only a few minutes, but seemed to stretch out much longer; but finally Rakuen's strength failed him and he fell, his body coming to rest ultimately beside Sakura's, his head nestled on her arm. __**"I'm… I'm sorry…" **__His eyes began to dim, close. __**"Just… let me rest here… and get my strength back…"**_

"_No… no problem, big guy." Sakura didn't bother fighting the tremor in her voice, the tears that began to well in her eyes. "You're a friend of Blackie-chan's, aren't you? Rest as long as you need."_

"_**Th… thank you…"**_

_With a soft sigh, Rakuen finally closed his eyes; his muscles went limp, his head suddenly seeming heavier against Sakura's arm._

_With the rain falling around them, in the arms of a human, with blood soaking his fur, Rakuen's heart ceased to beat, and his breathing quieted into nothingness._

_Chilled by the rain, seeking nothing but warmth and escape from the blood and death along around her, Sakura also closed her eyes and silently followed Rakuen, giving her life freely and without a fight._

_The rain continued to fall._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Himeko."

Miyako's voice jerked Himeko out of her reverie, and the golden she-wolf looked up, blinking. The Heads were looking at her again, and she wrapped her tail around her paws, sitting up slightly. "Yes?" She forced her voice not to tremble.

"It seems interesting," Kazuki rumbled, glancing at Tsubasa. "Interesting that a wolf of Tsuki's blood would cross paths with a hunter of Orihime's blood. Tsubasa…"

"This changes nothing." The large white wolf waved his tail to silence his adopted brother. His single eye bore into Himeko. "Nothing at all. Do you understand, Himeko?"

"Yes, First Head."

Tsubasa studied her intently, but Himeko met his gaze evenly and never once looked away; after a few moments, he relaxed.

"It seems that your time as a human is reaching its end," the white wolf said at last. "Our fear is if you stay any longer, the risk of discovery runs higher. Have you seen any indications that they might threaten us?"

"No, First Head."

A quiet murmur rippled through the Heads; Tsubasa lifted his head at this, and he seemed to have come to a decision.

"Very well. In that case, there's no reason for you to remain human any longer."

"W-what?" Himeko's heart dropped into her paws.

"You can't leave at this moment; from what Nekoko and Kazuki told me, you might have left something of a mess behind, and humans would get suspicious if you just vanished into thin air." Tsubasa's voice was calm, and it was obvious he expected no argument. "But I refuse to risk your life any longer. Tomorrow, before the sun rises and the humans wake, you will return to us, Himeko. You will return home."

Himeko swallowed hard and nodded, looking at her paws and slowly lowering her ears. She couldn't say no. This was what she'd been working for all along. She'd known this would happen. She slowly closed her eyes.

"Yes, First Head."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_The rain pounded down on Tsuki without remorse as she stood silently among the trees, gazing at the clearing through dark, narrow eyes. Her heart ached and every muscle in her body screamed, but she didn't dare go out into the clearing; Orihime had stumbled upon the bodies with people from a nearby village, and a wolf would not be a welcome sight right now._

_Her heart twisted at the sound of Orihime's sobs, audible over the falling rain; even in the darkness she could glimpse the still, blood soaked golden fur of Rakuen, and she felt her heart snap neatly in two._

_She bared her teeth; a tremor rippled through her body, and for a moment she almost gave in to the urge to become human and run into the clearing, to weep over Rakuen the way Orihime wept over Sakura._

_But she couldn't. Not now. Not when Tsume's scent was still fresh in the rain-soaked air._

_She just needed to stop by the den one last time, she mused as raindrops dripped from her shell pendant. She had a gift to give to Haku before she left to track down her brother… probably never to return.._

_With a snarl she whirled around and sped away through the trees, a dark shadow with a broken heart and revenge on her mind._

_Tonight, Tsume would die._

_**I promise you that, Rakuen…**_

**_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_**

No one really liked Rakuen... right? (sweatdrops) Well, I liked him, actually, but then I created him so... (shot)

Next chapter: Himeko and Chikane have one last night together, and the conclusion to Tsuki and Orihime's story.

Read and review, please!


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: _Nope, still don't own KnM. Damn it all.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 13_

"_I love you  
__I have loved you all along  
__And I miss you  
__Been far away for far too long  
__I keep dreaming  
__You'll be with me and you'll never go  
__Stop breathing  
__If I don't see you anymore."_

-Nickelback

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_After visiting the den one final time and leaving her gift with Haku, Tsuki knew she should have immediately pursued Tsume's trail. She knew where he'd be, and the sooner she met him and fought him the sooner everything ended—the pain, the sorrow, the anger._

_But instead of heading for the clearing, the black half wolf's paws ultimately carried her back to Rakuen._

_For the time being the rain had ceased, though the dark clouds overhead threatened to start the downpour all over again. At some point Orihime and people from the village must have taken Sakura's body to be buried; there was no way, however, of ignoring the large puddle of blood that showed where she'd lain in her last moments. Tsuki sat quietly, wrapping her tail around her legs, and after a moment gave in to temptation and lowered her head, burying her muzzle into Rakuen's neck like she'd so often done in the past._

_The warmth she'd known so well for so long had long since faded from his body; Rakuen's fur felt cold and wet, and nothing at all like him. Tsuki closed her eyes, but she didn't pull away. "Why'd you take me in, huh?" she whispered shakily. "If you'd just let me die, this wouldn't have happened."_

_No reply; not that she'd expected one. A cold wind blew through the clearing, stirring the grass and Tsuki's fur._

"_Guess your heart was just too big to turn away from a bleeding wolf, wasn't it? You always were too kind… sometimes I think you had such a big body just to house that heart of yours." Her voice cracked, wavered. "Of course, I never really thought a heart as big as yours would ever stop beating."_

_If she'd hoped, somewhere deep inside, that her words would stir Rakuen, she was disappointed. She slowly inhaled his scent one last time, letting it swim in her head and ignoring the foul stench of blood that now stained it. Finally, she exhaled heavily and pulled back, slowly standing and glancing up at the cloudy night sky._

"_Mom… take care of the gentle giant for me 'til I get up there." She looked back at Rakuen once more, lowering her head and giving his ear one last lick, feeling her heart crumble into a thousand pieces. "Don't worry too much about me, okay big guy? We won't be separated for long."_

_He was dead; Rakuen was dead, the blood drying on his fur, his heart still and his breathing no more. But for an instant, as the wind picked up again, Tsuki thought she heard his voice carried along with it, whispering into her ear._

"_**I'm so tired, Tsuki…"**_

_With a low, sobbing whine that was almost akin to a human sob, Tsuki lowered her head and once more nuzzled into Rakuen's neck, her body shaking with silent, tearless sobs as grief poured through her anew; she squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her ears, feeling the rain beginning to fall again._

"_I know, my gentle giant," she whispered. "I know."_

_Tearing herself away, Tsuki streaked across the grass as the rain fell with renewed vigor, not even needing scent to guide her; she knew where Tsume would be. Not for the first time, she felt the lack of weight against her chest with a sharp pang, reminding her of Haku and what she'd left him._

_In the darkness of trees, Orihime watched Tsuki vanish, on the path of her brother; after a long moment, she followed the black half wolf, ignoring the rain and the thunder that rumbled overhead._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

It began to rain.

Scowling a little, Chikane tugged on the reins and pulled her horse to a stop, glaring up at the now dark, cloudy sky as drops fell all around her. "Well, that _really _lightens my mood," she muttered, pushing a wet strand of dark blue hair out of her eyes. "Thanks a lot, I needed this."

The rain just kept falling.

Muttering under her breath, Chikane turned her horse and dug her heels into its sides, urging the dark animal on; rain or no rain, she wasn't done riding yet. She hadn't even found Himeko yet, and she couldn't just leave the golden-haired girl stranded in the trees while it was dark and raining.

_Not to mention…_

No longer bothered by the rain falling around her, though her clothes were completely soaked and now clung to her like a second skin, the dark-haired young girl lifted one hand and touched it lightly to her lips, fighting the urge to smile even as confusion stirred.

_... What path is Himeko following, and how the hell is kissing me the first step? Unless…_

Her lips slowly curved down as the thought formed; she let her hand fall away.

_Unless… it's her way… of telling me she's leaving soon._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko left the pack home in a kind of daze; she'd snuck out a back trail so Jin or Makoto wouldn't see her and try to talk to her, and somewhere along the endless path she walked through the rain and the trees and the shadows she assumed her human form, though she could not consciously recall summoning it.

The rain was cold and pricked her skin like small icy arrows, but she didn't mind it; she was used to harsh weather from her life as a wolf prior to this, and though her human skin lacked fur to keep warm she'd become a master at blocking out physical discomfort of any kind.

Besides that, the emotional turmoil kind of made up for it.

Briefly she realized she hadn't called Miyako on her suspicious past as a human and a wolf hunter; but now that she thought about it, it was really none of her business. Miyako had been who she'd been back then, and while Himeko hadn't known her as a human, the Second Head she'd grown up with had always been kind to her, especially after the golden wolf had become old enough to start watching over Jin.

Plus, she kind of figured that if she did anything to even upset Miyako a little bit, Tsubasa would jump her then and there. The large white wolf was fiercely protective of his mate and son.

Himeko didn't know exactly when she stopped walking, or when her body went numb and she felt completely unaware of the rain falling around her or the wind and the chill that was beginning to pick up; at some point she huddled beneath a tree, probably with the subconscious intent of escaping the downpour, and pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees and closing her eyes.

She slowly opened her eyes again.

_Maybe I shouldn't go back. _She watched the rain fall quietly. _Maybe I should've just stayed with the pack and played with Jin or something. It's probably better if I don't return to Chikane-chan. I just…_

She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt as they burned, not sure if it was from the rain, the welling of tears, or possibly both.

_I… I don't know… how to say goodbye._

Himeko instinctively felt the beginning of the shift from day to night, but the rain continued to fall and she made no move to rise. Maybe, if she just stayed here, she could quietly freeze until it felt safe enough to move again. It was a tempting thought, and for a moment she considered it.

"Himeko."

She didn't even jolt at the soft sound of Chikane's voice, probably because she'd known all along that sooner or later the dark-haired girl would find her; she blinked and looked up. The young heir of Himemiya stood before her, looking just as soaked as she was, holding the reins of a large dark gray horse in one hand as she gazed at Himeko with blue eyes that were both uncertain and relieved.

They both heard the unspoken "I found you", hanging between them though neither dared to say it, as though acknowledging it would be like admitting that Himeko was, in fact, leaving soon and Chikane had purposely gone out to find her and bring her back. After a moment of silence, Chikane sighed and smiled softly, holding out her free hand.

"Come on, then," she murmured, and her eyes gleamed briefly in the falling rain. "At this rate we'll both end up getting sick or something."

It would have been safer, Himeko knew, to stand on her own; to ignore Chikane's hand, and everything it offered. It didn't matter what tonight would bring; tomorrow she would be a wolf, and Chikane would be a wolf hunter.

But tomorrow wasn't here yet.

Smiling back, Himeko rested her hand in Chikane's.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_TSUME!"_

_The dark gray wolf lifted his head from his paws, licking his lips as his golden eyes gleamed eerily in the silvery rain that fell to the grass; he stood, stretching. "Ah, sister," he rumbled. "You move fast. I only killed that golden softie of yours a little while ago."_

"_Don't bring Rakuen into this, you bastard!"_

"_Oh, ouch. Sore subject?" Tsume slowly stood, flicking his ear as Tsuki bristled. "But then, why wouldn't it be? He died because of you, you know…"_

_That did it; with a snarl Tsuki surged forward, muscles rippling beneath her fur as she streaked through the grass and crashed headlong into Tsume. They tumbled into the grass, a tangled blur of dark gray and black as rain pounded around them._

_Tsume was the larger of the two, but Tsuki was small and urged on by grief; the large dark gray male had also not brought any other wolves with him, probably figuring he wouldn't need the help to take down the black half wolf that was currently struggling violently beneath his paws. Baring his teeth he crushed one paw against her shoulder, lowering his head so he was speaking directly into her ear._

"_What did that giant see in you, anyway?" he breathed, his breath hot and smelling of blood. "Too kind for his own good, don't you think? Freakin' weakling. He should've killed you when he had the chance. At least it would have made him __**like **__bloodshed... Maybe he would have been more of a challenge to kill."_

"_Rakuen was __**TEN TIMES **__the wolf you could __**EVER **__hope to be!!!" Fury surging through her blood, Tsuki struggled fiercely beneath Tsume's paws, realizing the situation she was in. Her fierce struggles nearly dislodged Tsume, but the male was larger and held her down by sheer weight and strength._

_Lowering his head, beginning to pant from the effort of keeping Tsuki pinned, Tsume brushed his muzzle tauntingly along her exposed throat, gently nipping at her exposed flesh and making her flinch. "What do you think, huh?" he whispered. "Would you like me to kill you in the same place I killed your pitiful human mother? Would you like to die here, knowing she died here as well, with your name on her lips?"_

"_I… fucking… hate… you…"_

"_Believe me… I hate you, too."_

_The rain had soaked into Tsuki's fur and continued to do so now, chilling her to the bone; perhaps that was why she felt so numb as Tsume pulled away, parting his jaws, maybe that was why she felt nothing as his teeth began to sink into her neck, with the intent of ripping her throat the way he had Rakuen, maybe that was why…_

_A high-pitched whistling sound slashed through the pounding of the rain; Tsume jerked suddenly and stumbled back with a howl, releasing Tsuki and staggering as blood gushed from his shoulder. Lurching to her paws, Tsuki saw the blade of a silver dagger buried deeply into Tsume's shoulder; her eyes widened, and she whipped her head around. __**"Orihime," **__she rasped, establishing the mental link without a second thought._

_The light-haired wolf hunter smiled briefly, lowering the hand she'd used to throw her knife; even in the darkness of the falling rain, Tsuki could see Sakura's gun strapped to Orihime's hip._

"_Long time no see, Tsuki-chan."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Reiko's soft confession made Corona lift her head from her paws, looking at her mate. The rust-colored she-wolf sat at the mouth of the den the two currently rested in, gazing at the rain, her tail wrapped tightly around her paws. Yawning, Corona slowly stood, stretching leisurely and causing her bracelets to clink. "About what?"

"This. Himeko. The Himemiya girl. Miyako."

"Miyako?" Corona's ears swiveled forward at the mention of her longtime friend.

"Corona." Reiko glanced at her mate over her shoulder. "You honestly believe Himeko hasn't figured it out yet? By now she probably knows that Miyako was a wolf hunter."

"That's true… I know that, I'm not stupid." Corona flicked her ear, walking to sit beside Reiko. "But why are you worried? Miyako already said she'd deal with whatever Himeko finds."

"That's it… that's not what I'm worried about."

Growling a little in frustration, Corona grabbed Reiko's ear gently between her teeth and gave a light tug, making the other female wince a little. "Stop talking in riddles, you know I hate it when you do that," she grumbled, releasing Reiko's ear and nuzzling her muzzle into her neck. "Just come out and tell me what's worrying you."

For a moment Reiko looked back out at the rain, torn as she felt Corona's warmth merging with her own; Miyako was just as much her friend as she was Corona's, heck, if it weren't for Miyako the two would have never even _met_, but she didn't want to worry her mate if what she was thinking of never came to pass. Discreetly she shifted her head to glimpse the chocolate brown female in question, perhaps in the hope that seeing Miyako would confirm her choice.

The chocolate brown she-wolf was asleep, dozing lightly with her head on her paws and her ears lowered in relaxation; Tsubasa lay on her other side, out of Reiko's line of sight, his large head resting on her neck. Jin was curled against her belly, nuzzling as close to his mother as possible.

She made up her mind.

"I worried about you plenty," Reiko admitted, turning her head to lick Corona's ear, "but I know that it was useless because Miyako never revealed to anyone that _you _were the person housing wolves she couldn't kill until she could relocate them… so you're safe."

"Plus, I have you to protect me." Corona's eyes gleamed.

"Damn straight." Reiko lowered her head a moment to brush her muzzle along Corona's. "But… the same can't be said for Miyako. So I guess I'm just worried… because…"

"Because…?"

"Because when—_if_—all hell breaks loose, Miyako will be caught in the middle of it." Reiko closed her eyes. "And I just can't get the image of Tsubasa at her throat out of my head."

Dead silence from Corona; when Reiko opened her eyes, she saw the shock, horror, and ultimately the fear that flashed through her mate's golden eyes at the realization of the situation the Second Head was in, whether she realized it or not.

"But… Tsubasa wouldn't do that, right?" Corona's voice was just above a whisper, nearly drowned out by the rain falling outside. "I mean… he loves Miyako, so he would never… right?"

"I… I don't know, Corona. I just… don't know."

Ultimately, it would come down to which was stronger within the white wolf; his love for his mate, or his hatred for humans.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko watched the rain fall outside and contemplated whether or not she'd survive a jump from the window of her room to the wet grass outside. It was a tempting thought… yes, very tempting.

Somewhere in the house the clock chimed softly, and Himeko tilted her head back slightly to listen; it was getting late, she knew that much. She was almost grateful that Chikane was giving her space—almost.

Isamu and Kazumi had been gone by the time the two girls had gotten home; all Otoha had known was that they were at another meeting. Something stirred uncomfortably in Himeko's stomach, and she closed her eyes. She knew for a fact that wolf hunters held meetings, and they'd had a lot of them recently. Perhaps she'd been wrong; maybe her pack was threatened, after all. She'd have to talk to the Heads about it when she got home.

The gentle pounding of the rain against the roof had long ago established a gentle melody in Himeko's head, and shaking her head the light-haired girl wandered back to her bed, sitting down, only to get back up again. The disguised wolf felt hopelessly restless, and deep down she knew exactly why. The reason was just down the hall, in her own room. Himeko ran her hand through her hair and quietly contemplated her options.

Hell, tonight was her last night. She had nothing to lose and nothing to gain.

With that thought in mind, Himeko rose and walked to her door, gripping the handle firmly in case she wavered. Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.

Only to gaze into the clear blue eyes of one Himemiya Chikane.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_A bullet shot through the rain, missing its mark by mere inches as Tsume scrambled backward; grass and dirt sprayed into the dark wet air where the dark gray wolf had been standing only moments before. He snarled and bared his teeth, charging for Orihime; only to be cut off by Tsuki. Her shoulder grazed his teeth, and taking the opportunity he grabbed on, sinking in deeply until he tasted her blood and grazed bone._

_A startled, high pitched shrieking yelp of pain escaped Tsuki's lips; narrowing his eyes, Tsume roughly dragged the black half wolf down, hearing the crack of bone, before lifting her clean off her paws and flinging her back behind him like a sack of potatoes. She tumbled across the ground and came to a stop on her side, breathing raggedly._

_From the shoulder down, her left leg throbbed and she couldn't make it move; she lurched to her paws once, staggered, and fell back down again with a soft whine. Her injured leg trembled, blood slowly seeping into her fur and dripping into the grass, washed away by the pounding rain._

"_Tsuki-chan!"_

_Another bullet hit the ground, nicking Tsume's injured shoulder in the process; the dark gray wolf swung away from his sister with a snarl, golden eyes narrow and burning. Orihime's bloodied knife lay a little ways back behind her; in a fit of rage Tsume had assumed his human form and hurled the silver dagger back, but the rain had blinded him and made him miss his target. He stepped forward, toward the light-haired wolf hunter._

"_**DON'T YOU DARE!!!"**_

_Tsuki's mental howl of rage was powerful enough to make Tsume stagger as pain exploded in his head and made his vision spin and dim; the brief show of weakness was enough for the black half wolf to shove her own discomfort to the side and spring. Her teeth dug into the back of his neck; she buried her claws into his shoulders, clinging to his back._

_That did it; with a snarl of rage Tsume whirled, racing along the clearing like a mad wolf, slamming his body into trees and whatever he could think of; Tsuki felt and heard the crush of bone but held on stubbornly, knowing that if she didn't he would go for Orihime again. Her grip loosened slightly; she began to slip._

_With another snarl Tsume lunged forward, tucking his head between his legs and rolling; a sharp, sickening crack split the air as Tsuki's spine was crushed between the weight of her brother and the unforgiving ground. A very human scream of pain tore through Orihime's head, making her jerk up. "Tsuki-chan!" she cried, and to her horror, when Tsume stumbled to his paws, his sides heaving and his eyes burning, Tsuki did not rise._

_Her spine, Orihime realized weakly. She'd heard the crack, over the din of rain and even from this distance; something had happened to Tsuki's spine. The black half wolf couldn't rise. In fact, if her spine had been injured, death would quickly follow…_

"_**Orihime! Orihime, look out!"**_

_Tsuki's voice was weak, but frantic enough to catch Orihime's attention; she saw Tsume coming at her, a dark gray ball of fur and rage and muscle. With a gasp she stumbled back, falling; she whirled around quickly, her fingers flailing through the wet grass, cold and wet from the rain, before closing on the hilt of her dagger; she pulled it close, wrapping both hands around it._

_Tsume sprang. She heard rather than saw him leap, and made her decision._

"_**ORIHIME!!!"**_

_Moving quickly, she twirled her dagger around, closed her eyes, and drove the silver blade through her heart. She felt Tsume slam into her body, into the dagger that had driven through her back. She felt him stiffen, heard his choked gasp of surprise. Blood dripped from the wound to cover her hands and she began to tremble, but she gasped raggedly and held the knife in place._

"_**Ori… Orihime…" **__Tsuki's voice was ragged, broken. The black half wolf twitched feebly, but only caused more of her own blood to spill and couldn't rise. __**"Oh, God, no. Orihime."**_

_Ignoring the black female's plea, Orihime waited until she felt Tsume sag against her, felt his body go limp; slowly, he slid to the grass. Only then did she dare pull her knife out, gasping in pain and doubling over as blood spilled fresh. Panting, feeling the burn in her chest, she slowly glanced behind her, blood dripping from her mouth._

_Tsume lay on the grass; his muscles were still tense, even in death, his golden eyes wide and filled with shock, forever frozen in disbelief. Orihime let out a soft sob. He was dead._

_Slowly, her eyes shifted to where Tsuki lay; the rain fell down harshly on the black female, her dark blue eyes already glassy and beginning to glaze as death crept toward her, quietly pulling her down. Wincing, ignoring the blood, Orihime staggered to her feet and slowly walked to where she lay._

_Briefly, she noted Tsuki was no longer wearing her shell pendant._

_Her strength gave, and she fell; she rolled carefully onto her side, gently draping an arm along Tsuki's neck and pulling the black half wolf closer. "Hey," she whispered. "How you feeling?"_

"_**Like my spine's been broken in half." **__Tsuki fought to ignore the searing pain, focusing on Orihime. __**"You?"**_

"_Can't say the same… but I'm hurting."_

"_**Neither of us… will be in… pain… for much longer…" **__Tsuki's voice was weakening._

"_True…"_

_They lay quietly for a moment, letting the rain chill them, letting their blood mingle together; finally, with a sigh, despite the pain it caused, Tsuki shifted closer, so her muzzle was nuzzled into the crook of Orihime's neck. She closed her eyes. __**"Hey, Orihime," **__she whispered._

"_Yes, Tsuki-chan?"_

"_**I'll… I'll be waiting for you… so don't… take long… okay?"**_

_Tears welled in Orihime's eyes. "Okay."_

"_**Promise…?"**_

"_Promise."_

_With a soft sigh, Tsuki's body went limp; Orihime felt the exact moment the life drained out of her body, and slowly closed her eyes, choking back a soft sob. The pain in her chest increased sharply, and she shuddered as her vision began to dim. Despite her fading strength, she ran her fingers gently through Tsuki's rain-soaked fur, though she knew the black half wolf could no longer feel her touch._

"_Don't worry, Tsuki-chan," she whispered before her vision dimmed and her eyes closed one last time, never to open again. "I'll be right there beside you when you open you wake up."_

_And as her voice faded away into silence, the storm finally broke, and the moon shone silver in the night sky._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Chikane-chan." Himeko blinked and fought back the surprise—and the joy. "What are you doing here?" she asked, and immediately felt like slapping herself. Chikane smiled briefly, looking down at the floor. "I was just wondering if you would mind letting me stay the night," the dark-haired young woman murmured. "I couldn't sleep… I just wanted to see you, I guess."

_Well. _Himeko blew out a breath as heat rushed into her face. _At least she's honest._

By the moon, Chikane was even _blushing. _Himeko couldn't resist even if she tried. She smiled and stepped back, giving the other girl room to walk in. "Funny," she commented as she closed the door behind her, "but I was just on my way to see you."

"Really?" Chikane sat on the bed, raising a brow in surprise.

"Really. Couldn't sleep either. Wanted to see you too."

Suddenly feeling nervous and not knowing why, Himeko crossed the room in quick strides, looking back out the window again and laughing. "It stopped raining," she observed, glancing quickly over her shoulder at Chikane. "But I don't think the storm's broken yet."

"How can you tell?" Chikane rose, coming to stand just behind her, following her eyes; a tingle shot down Himeko's spine at the feeling of the other girl's warm breath just against her neck, reminding her painfully of how close they were. She fought to ignore it.

"The clouds are still up there, see? If the storm was breaking, the moon would be starting to show. Looks like we'll have more rain."

"Interesting…"

Himeko didn't like the tone of Chikane's voice; it sounded quietly curious in that way it always was, but there was something else, an undertone of something she couldn't quite put her finger on. How close she was standing didn't help at all; it was driving the disguised wolf crazy, knowing all she'd have to do was lean back to be in the young hunter's arms. She blew out a long breath and closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the glass. "Chikane-chan."

"Yes, Himeko?"

"If there's something you want to ask me, just ask it now." Her voice was soft. "I won't be here tomorrow, so this is your last chance to get anything off your mind."

"… You're leaving?"

The complete and utter shock in Chikane's voice nearly made Himeko turn around, but she didn't dare; she gritted her teeth and forced herself to not even look at the other girl's reflection to see the look on her face. "I was going to leave eventually," she muttered. "I can't stay here forever." _Even if… I wanted to… _"I'm… I'm different from you, Chikane-chan. If I stay any longer… it'll just hurt us both."

"And what exactly does _that _mean?"

"I can't tell you." Himeko felt the sting of tears, felt her body begin to shake. "I wish I could, Chikane-chan, I really do. But I can't."

"You _can't_?" Chikane rested a hand on the light-haired girl's shoulder, turning her around. "Himeko, why—"

She froze at the tears that streaked Himeko's face and dripped from her chin to the ground below; in a single movement she had the other girl in her arms, holding her close and whispering soothingly into her ear, shattered in a way she had never been before. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to make you cry. I shouldn't have said that." She closed her eyes. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. It's not your fault."

Himeko didn't reply, just nuzzled into the other girl's embrace and let her tears fall, hating herself for needing Chikane, for wanting her like this. It was wrong, it was the same path Tsuki had walked, and she knew for a fact now that it had ended badly for her ancestor. It could only end badly for her, if she didn't pull away now and establish some distance before leaving.

But she couldn't.

At some point Chikane shifted, gently pulling Himeko away, but only to brush her tears away with her thumb, her eyes gentle; she hesitated a moment before letting her hand rise, cupping her cheek the way she had that morning. Himeko saw the subtle shift in her eyes, knew what was to come, and didn't even try to prevent it. She just closed her eyes and waited.

The kiss was chaste, almost timid; a light, gentle brushing of lips that could have easily been dreamed or imagined by both of them. There was a beat of silence, then Chikane murmured, "You can push me away at any moment, you know."

Himeko slowly opened her eyes, feeling her lips twitch. "What makes you think I'd want to do that?"

"Just giving you the option."

"_Chikane-chan…"_

The exasperation in Himeko's voice made the dark-haired girl chuckle, before she leaned in again and initiated a second kiss. It was a bit bolder than the last one, a bit more forward; and yet it never lost that gentle coaxing touch, that timid uncertainty and joy of what was beginning to bloom.

It lasted an eternity and ended in a second; when they broke apart Himeko nuzzled into the crook of Chikane's neck, closing her eyes as the other girl's arms came around her, tight and warm.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Chikane's voice was just above a whisper. "I don't want anything… I just want to be with you."

"Yes." Himeko breathed in Chikane's scent, letting it swirl around her. It was a scent she knew she'd never forget, even when morning came and she returned to the wolves. "Yes."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Somewhere in the house, the hand of the clock struck twelve midnight; a chime sounded.

Within her room, Himeko stirred groggily, blinking and rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, her gaze immediately found Chikane's sleeping face.

The dark-haired girl was holding her close, one arm along her waist and her face nestled into her neck; feeling her heart rate increased slightly, Himeko carefully shifted and rolled away from the other girl's embrace, missing her warmth almost immediately.

But she had to do this. She was already in over head.

Slowly she stood, brushing loose strands of golden hair out of her eyes; for a moment she gazed at Chikane. Biting her lip, she gave in; leaning down, she closed her eyes and gently brushed her lips against the sleeping girl's, light and quick. As she pulled back she hesitated before leaning in, whispering softly into Chikane's ear, though she knew the girl was still asleep and probably wouldn't hear her.

"I'm sorry, Chikane-chan." Tears welled again, but she fought them back. "I love you."

She pulled away quickly, walking swiftly to the window; she flipped the lock easily, sliding outside and pulling it shut before a cold breeze could blow through and wake Chikane. She shivered; it was raining again, she noted, and had already soaked her to the bone.

Closing her eyes, Himeko let her human form drop for the last time; as rain pounded down and soaked into her fur, she sprang down into the grass below, staggering only a bit when she landed. Shaking her head, she looked back up at the window for a moment; closing her now golden eyes, she turned away and ran across the lawn, vanishing quickly into the shadows of the trees.

The shell pendant around her neck was still warm, despite the rain.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

For a long moment Chikane just lay there, keeping up the pretense of sleep even though she knew Himeko was long gone (though why the girl had decided to use the _window _was beyond her). After a moment she slowly sat up, pushing dark strands of hair out of her eyes. In one fluid motion she rose, walking to the window. She lifted one hand, pressing it briefly against the glass.

The pain hit her, hard and fast and without remorse; she gritted her teeth, resting her forehead against the glass as her fingers curled into a fist and her tears began to fall.

"_I love you."_

"Himeko…"

_I love you, too._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Tsuki and Orihime's story is done, but things are far from over for Himeko and Chikane. And oh dear, looks like Miyako's caught somewhere in there too...

Read and review, please!


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: _Don't own KnM, never owned KnM, will never own KnM, end of story.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 14_

Himeko ran through the dark trees, not minding the pouring rain and the way it stung her eyes and pricked her fur, chilling her skin. Her paws pounded a steady rhythm against the wet grass beneath her feet as she ran, soothing her and matching the pace of her heart. The rain blinded her and she smelled nothing on the air; all scent was washed away, but she could still hear perfectly.

Her ears flicked back, detecting a sound; someone running beside her, another wolf by the sound of the footfalls. She couldn't detect a scent; the runner was still a distance away, cutting through the trees for her. She skidded to a halt and threw her head back, lifting her voice in a howl, calling out the other wolf she sensed. Lowering her head, she strained her ears, listening for a reply.

For a moment there was silence; then an answering howl pierced the dark rainy air, announcing the presence of only one wolf. Himeko's ears swiveled forward, and her eyes widened as she recognized the voice, even as the wolf ran closer and she finally picked up its scent.

_Makoto._

As the realization seared through her head, the reddish-brown female emerged from the trees, raindrops dripping from her fur and clinging to her whiskers; her golden eyes gleamed brightly in the dark, but there was no joy or surprise in her gaze. Just sadness.

_She knows, _Himeko realized weakly, then slowly sat down, looking at her paws. _Of course she knows. She's my big sister… my best friend. Of course she knows._

The soft sound of Makoto's footsteps made Himeko flinch away and she squeezed her eyes shut, prepared for the mental abuse, whatever the other she-wolf would do to her for breaking the law of the wolves and falling in love with a human. But instead of speaking, Makoto merely sat beside Himeko, opposite her so their shoulders touched; after a moment, she turned her head and nuzzled Himeko's neck. Feeling grief and relief rising in one great wave, Himeko buried her muzzle into Makoto's shoulder as her body shook with tears that couldn't fall. "You really love her, huh?" the other wolf murmured.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. Does… does loving Souma hurt?"

"Sometimes. But it's always worth it in the end."

"That's good." Himeko nuzzled deeper into Makoto's fur, breathing in her scent. "That's good."

"I can't just go and beat someone up this time and tell them to leave you the hell alone, huh?"

"No." The golden wolf managed a weak laugh. "You can still try, if you want."

"Nah. I'm not really in the mood." Makoto licked Himeko's ear. "You gonna be okay?"

For a moment Himeko said nothing, listening to the pounding of the rain, feeling the way it soaked through her fur and seeped into her bones, breathing in Makoto's scent like she'd done when they'd been pups and she'd needed comfort from a nightmare about her parents after their deaths.

"Yeah. Eventually."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_Jeez, what a bunch of jerks…"_

_Himeko, only six weeks old for a wolf pup and appearing seven years old as a young human girl, blinked in confusion as Makoto huffed, brushing off her pants and putting her hands on her hips. "I mean, really," the short-haired girl huffed, "picking on a little girl and then running like a bunch of wimps."_

"_That, uh…" The small golden-haired girl coughed softly. "That might be because you hit them, Mako. Hard. You knocked the biggest one over."_

"_Yeah, well, he was a bully, pulling your hair like that. I hate bullies, human or wolf."_

_Her lips twitched, but Himeko didn't dare smile as Makoto turned to face her, stepping toward her and holding out a hand. "Don't say that out loud," she whispered, taking her cousin's hand and letting her pull her up. "You __**know **__what Aunt and Uncle said about that."_

"_Oh?" Makoto's eyes gleamed. "But __**I **__wasn't the one who took on a human form… as a pup. We're not even yearlings yet."_

"… _Right…"_

_The short-haired girl laughed even as a tremor rippled through her body; Himeko felt it through Makoto's hand, and her own body reacted accordingly. She winced, her fingers tightening around her cousin's. "We should probably get out of here," she managed, grimacing. "Before we lose control."_

"_Yeah. That's, uh, a good idea." Makoto shivered as her skin began to itch. "A real good idea, in fact."_

"_Yeah. And, uh, Mako…"_

"_Hmm?"_

_Himeko finally did smile, albeit shyly and a bit sheepishly. "Thanks for saving me."_

_Makoto grinned back. "No problem, Hime."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Slowly, silently, the rain began to cease; the clouds drifted away and the moon shone brightly, though the yellow and orange rays peeking overhead indicated it was near daytime. A soft sneeze from Makoto made Himeko open her eyes and slowly pull away. Both wolves were completely soaked from the rain, chilled from sitting still and letting the storm thrash all around them.

"You're going to get sick now," the golden wolf murmured, narrowing her eyes gently.

"You're fault." Makoto gently bumped noses with Himeko.

"Of course. We need to get back to the pack… and I need to speak to the Heads. I think we might have a problem." Himeko stood, shaking her fur.

"Problem?" Makoto stood with her. "What kind of problem?"

"The kind that involves large numbers of wolf hunters and a great amount of bloodshed."

"That sounds just lovely."

"Doesn't it?"

Makoto shook fiercely, and Himeko jerked back with a yelp to avoid the raindrops, but her eyes gleamed good-naturedly. The aching in her chest wasn't gone completely—it would probably be with her for as long as she lived—but it had eased, at least for the moment.

"Well then." Her eyes gleamed, and her muscles rippled beneath her brown fur, fur that contained just a tint of red. "We'd better get moving. If we need to be ready to fight, then everyone needs to know."

"Yeah."

"And Himeko…"

"Yeah?"

"If Chikane is among the hunters… she's yours to deal with, okay?"

Slowly, Himeko closed her eyes.

"Okay."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"A wolf hunt? When the sun goes down?" Chikane blinked, leaning back in her chair. "Isn't this a little… soon, Father? I mean, we've only just begun sighting wolves from the pack, we don't even have an exact number for their size."

"I know, and there's a risk to it." Isamu's eyes were dark. "But the sooner we uproot the wolves and wipe them out, the sooner they cease being a threat to our town. We might already be at risk."

"Isamu." Kazumi's voice was soft.

"Kaz, she deserves to know…"

"Deserves to know what?"

Chikane couldn't stop the question from leaving her lips, and winced slightly as her father and mother both looked at her. "Sorry," she muttered, ducking her head and looking away. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to."

"There's no reason to keep it from you." Isamu and Kazumi exchanged quiet looks before Isamu spoke again. "One of our friends recently informed us that the wolves might have already sent one of their own in to keep an eye on us."

"… You mean… like a spy?"

"Something like that, yes." Isamu frowned as Chikane leaned closer, absorbing the details. "Unfortunately, if it's true and there _was _a wolf lurking around, it might have picked up on our meetings and figured out something was going on."

"So _that's _the reason you want to attack the pack now." Chikane narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

"Yes."

The young blue-haired hunter said nothing, lapsing into silence as she mulled this over, obviously shaken by the thought that a wolf could have slipped undetected into her life and then could have slipped away as though it never existed. She shuddered a little.

"_What makes wolves so different from humans?"_

Himeko's soft voice rang in her head at that moment, her tone questioning but weary, as though she'd already known the answer Chikane would give—as though she'd known Chikane wouldn't understand what she was saying. Just the thought of the golden-haired girl made her heart throb painfully and she gritted her teeth.

_No, no way, I'm __**not **__crying in front of my parents…_

Oh, God. She'd already cried plenty in the privacy of her room, and the pain still felt fresh. And Himeko had only been gone for a few hours. If the other girl's absence hurt this much _now_, how much would it hurt for the rest of Chikane's life?

_Okay, bad thought. Really bad thought. No more thinking._

"I wonder if Kurusugawa-san would be a decent hunter…" A light gleamed to life in Isamu's eyes as Kazumi sighed in amusement and weariness, used to her husband's way of thinking. Chikane forced her body not to stiffen at the mention of Himeko, despite the gash on her heart that throbbed at the mere thought of the girl. She blew out a long, ragged breath and slowly closed her eyes. "Kurusugawa-san is gone," she murmured.

"Gone?"

"Yeah." Chikane felt rather than saw her mother's eyes on her, and knew she was missing nothing. "She went home this morning."

"And you let her go?" Kazumi's voice was soft, but gentle.

"Wasn't I supposed to?"

Isamu looked between his wife and his daughter, obviously lost; after a moment, Kazumi sighed and backed down. "If you felt it was for the best," she said, "then it's probably better that she's gone. Kurusugawa-san always seemed a little kind-hearted to me… I don't think she'd have it in her to hunt wolves."

And just like that, Kazumi effortlessly switched the topic away from the golden-haired girl who had stolen Chikane's heart. "Regardless," she continued without missing a beat, "now that you have some free time, Chikane, you need to put it to good use for us."

"Eh?"

"Glad to see we're on the same page, dear." Chikane scowled as Kazumi's eyes gleamed with humor. "Tonight, you won't be the only teenage hunter out there. Three other families have volunteered their daughters."

"Okay… so what does that have to do with me?"

"They're recognized wolf hunters, just like you. But they don't have your experience. You've killed quite a number of wolves in your life, Chikane, and you're only sixteen. These three are still green. By the way we figured it, we thought it would be better to have someone their age training with them today instead of one of the adults."

Intrigued despite herself, Chikane raised a brow. "I don't recall signing up to be a mentor," she stated dryly; she ran a hand through her hair, sighed, and shrugged. "But I suppose I have nothing better to do until night falls and the hunt starts."

"That's my girl." Kazumi smiled. "They're from your school, so you should be familiar with them…"

… _Wait a minute here…_

Alarm bells sounded in Chikane's head just as the door to the room began to creak open; and by then, it was too late for the young blue-haired hunter to take back what she'd said and beat a hasty retreat.

"Miya-sama!"

_Oh, HELL no._

Yes, it was none other than Izumi, Misaki, and Kyoko standing there in the doorway. Misaki and Kyoko really didn't bother Chikane that much; it was Izumi who made her want to run in the other direction as fast as humanly possible. She swung around. "Uh, Mom…"

"Well, since you seem to know each other, I'll just leave you…"

_Ack! Wait, no! Don't leave me __**alone **__with them!  
_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"A wolf hunt?" Tsubasa's ears swiveled forward.

"Yes." Himeko forced herself not to look away from the white wolf's single eye, drawing comfort from Makoto, who sat faithfully by her side, their shoulders touching; the two young she-wolves had reported immediately to the Heads upon returning to the pack. "I know it's just a feeling, but I can't shake it. There's been too many meetings… it just adds up."

"Indeed." Miyako and Tsubasa exchanged quiet looks. "And in the past, wolves have survived off little else but their instincts."

Himeko felt the sigh leave her lungs quietly as her muscles relaxed, relieved the Heads weren't just brushing her worries to the side; obviously pleased and proud of her stance, Makoto tilted her head to give Himeko's ear a quick lick.

"If they _are _going to hunt, it makes sense that it would be sometime soon." Corona's voice snapped the cousins out of their thoughts, making the young wolves look up. She glanced quietly at Reiko, who nodded. "Wolf hunters aren't the kind to sit idle when they know a pack is nearby."

"Tonight is the best bet." Miyako's voice was soft, but confident. "The hunters would believe us to be asleep or still hunting, and not at full strength. They'd view the darkness as something that can aid them in killing. Take it from a wolf that's seen both sides of the battle."

Her implications left little to the imagination, and Himeko suppressed a shudder. Tsubasa brushed Miyako's shoulder briefly with his nose before turning his attention to Himeko and Makoto.

"You've done well, Himeko," he rumbled. "I suppose all we can ask of you now is that you prepare for the battle that will come when the sun sets and darkness falls."

Himeko swallowed and quietly prayed a certain blue-haired hunter would not be present. "Yes, First Head."

She could only hope that when push came to shove, she could deliver and not have any regrets when the sun rose again.

As though sensing her inner thoughts, Makoto gently nudged Himeko's shoulder. "Hime?" Her voice was soft, concerned. "You okay?"

Instead of replying, Himeko turned her head and buried her muzzle into Makoto's neck, closing her eyes.

Around her neck, the shell pendant suddenly felt heavier than before.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

With a sigh, Izumi lowered the smoking gun and rubbed the back of her neck, eyeing the target with pleased eyes; she turned, shouldering her weapon, and smirked at Chikane. "What do you think, Miya-sama?"

Somewhere behind her, Chikane heard one of the other two girls give a low whistle of amazement.

It wasn't unusual for wolf hunters to handle guns; even hunters who preferred other weapons always had a gun at hand, so they wouldn't be defenseless if they somehow lost their first choice. Izumi's family was one who used guns as they're method of killing, and used them well—practicing her target shooting, Izumi hadn't missed a single shot.

Chikane couldn't help but feel a little sorry for any wolf who found themselves gazing at the barrel of the young hunter's gun. She was actually surprised to discover the girl was still green by wolf hunter standards, with the ease she handled her weapon.

"Promising." Chikane kept her voice cold and neutral. "You're skilled, I'll give you that. I'm surprised you're still considered green."

"Yeah, well." Izumi shrugged, sliding her gun back to its place at her hip. "My parents haven't actually let me go on a lot of wolf hunts since I killed my first wolf. It's annoying. I mean, wolves are so damn stupid. You could probably shoot them and they'd just stare at you or turn tail and run and leave another wolf to fight." Her eyes gleamed. "Right?"

A soft murmur of agreement came from behind Chikane, indicating Kyoko and Misaki shared Izumi's view; she opened her mouth…

"_What makes wolves so different from humans?"_

"_They're both the same. They both love their families. They both play and frolic around. They love each other, are devoted to each other. So why do they treat each other like they're different?"_

"_A place you can't follow."_

… And promptly snapped it shut again as Himeko's voice cut through her thoughts, weary and soft and sounding almost heartbroken. Unbidden, the memory of the two wolves she'd glimpsed that night with the other girl flashed through her mind's eye.

"Believe what you will." Chikane turned her head away as her heart throbbed painfully against her ribs. "We need to keep training; lower your guard, and tonight could be your last alive."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Himeko! Himeko, you came back!"

The cry of delight was the golden wolf's only warning before the small ball of dark brown fur and developing muscle slammed into her legs, knocking her over; feeling an odd sense of déjà vu but unable to keep her joy bottled, Himeko rolled easily with Jin and batted playfully at the pup's ear, sitting up and lowering her head to touch noses with him. "Hey," she said, licking his muzzle. "Long time no see."

"You're really back?" The pup's eyes glowed as he gazed up at her, his baby-sitter and big sister rolled into one. "You're really not going away again?"

"Yeah, you're stuck with me until the day you die." Himeko rolled the pup with her paw and nuzzled his belly, making him squeal and squirm with delight.

Beside her, Makoto chuckled before gliding away to find Souma; briefly, Himeko lifted her head. "Mako."

"Yeah, Hime."

"… Just… be careful tonight, okay?" Himeko lowered her head briefly to nip at Jin's neck. "Because if you die, I'll have to kill the hunter who killed you."

"That so?" Makoto stepped back, and for a moment the two cousins touched noses. "Well, then, same goes."

"Got it."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_Hey… Mako?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Can I ask you something?"_

_Now back in the safety of the trees and the shadows, their human forms dropped in favor of their true puppy bodies, Makoto shifted her small body and sat up, looking at Himeko, who was staring at her paws. "Sure, Hime."_

"_Why… why did you save me back there?" Himeko scuffed one paw along the grass, not daring to meet Makoto's eyes. "I mean… you could have been really hurt…"_

"_Dummy." Makoto puffed out her chest. "A bunch of human boys couldn't take me even if they tried."_

"_Mako, I'm being serious…"_

_Makoto said nothing for a moment, quietly studying her cousin; finally she sighed, nudging Himeko's shoulder with her nose so the small golden wolf pup would look away from her paws and actually meet her eyes. "Himeko, remember when your mom and dad first died and you came to live with us?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_And remember what my dad said to us that night?"_

"_Yeah…" Himeko nodded. "He said that we were sisters now."_

"_Yeah. And what do you think sisters do? They protect each other, right?"_

"_Well… right…"_

"_So that's all there is to it." Makoto lay back down, resting her head on her paws, satisfied. "I was just being your sister."_

_For a moment Himeko contemplated this, obviously surprised by the thought; after a moment the younger pup lay down beside her cousin, her senior by only about two weeks, and rested her small head on her back. "Mako?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Thanks for being my sister."_

"_Yeah, anytime."_

"_I'll make it up to you, too. I promise."_

_Makoto closed her eyes and smiled tiredly; sleep was beginning to taunt the two youngsters, tired from their adventure and happy to be back home safely with their pack._

"_I know you will, Hime."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Next chapter goes back to the bloodshed and angst that this story has become so well known for... I don't know if that's a good thing or not...

Read and review, please!


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: _I don't own KnM, yadda yadda yadda...

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 15_

The sun seemed to set in slow motion that day, painting the sky above in brilliant shades of oranges and yellows, and just a tint of red that was the color of blood. Shivering a little, Himeko lowered her eyes from the sky and took a deep breath, shifting her position and feeling her claws dig reassuringly into the rocks she hid among.

Her part was simple enough in the attack plan; the path the wolves had surrounded and spread out along was a common riding path in the forest for humans, whether they be hunters or not. There was no doubt that the hunting party tonight would follow this same path to attack the pack. It was the perfect place for the wolves to get at least one major strike if everything went to hell when darkness came.

At some point in time, Himeko would spring from these same rocks and drag some hunter down by the throat, or topple a horse and go in for the kill once the beast was down.

At the very least, that's what she _hoped._

The golden she-wolf closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, forcing her muscles to relax and her fur to lay flat as purples and blues darkened the sky and stars began to shine.

_Please, please, don't let me drag down Chikane-chan._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Night fell faster than Chikane could ever remember, and she tugged lightly on her horse's reins for a moment to ride side-by-side with her mother. The large dark gray stallion snorted and tossed his head excitedly, and without thinking Chikane leaned forward to whisper soothingly into his ear. The horse gave one last snort, but settled. Kazumi raised a brow, impressed. "You're good with him."

"He's excited. He hasn't been on a hunt in awhile, and I guess he's forgotten what it feels like." She rubbed the stallion's neck. "But he listens to me."

"Always a relief." Kazumi smiled and slowed her own horse, a slim black mare, to keep pace with her daughter. She lowered her voice. "So what did you think of them?"

Chikane shrugged, knowing who her mother referred to. "They seem promising enough. I'd keep an eye on Izumi, though… she's absolutely deadly with a gun. I almost feel sorry for any wolf she runs into tonight."

"She's still green, though, and her experience in an actual hunt is limited. Stick close to her."

"Yeah, yeah…"

The dark gray stallion pranced from hoof to hoof again, causing Chikane to shift her attention to him and soothe him again. Kazumi watched silently, wondering if perhaps the stallion's nerves came not from the hunt that they were on, but from his own rider. She sighed. "Chikane," she murmured, her voice soft, "you need to keep your mind completely focused on the hunt."

Blue eyes narrowed. "My mind _is _focused on the hunt, Mom."

"Dear, I'm your mother. Believe it or not, you can't make _everything _you tell me a lie." Kazumi smiled briefly.

Scowling a little, unnerved by how easily her mother could hit her mark nine times out of ten, Chikane dug in her heels and urged her stallion on.

Against her back, her bow suddenly felt heavy.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

They were coming.

Himeko could smell them on the wind, could hear the hoof beats of the horses they rode, the low tones they spoke in as darkness fell. Her skin prickled and a small tremor rippled down her spine as her muscles tensed, her fur beginning to bristle and her ears lying flat. Baring her teeth a low growl rumbled from her throat, and she crept closer to the path, moving fast and low across the ground.

Basic instinct rose within her, and she did nothing to fight it.

A single, low howl pierced the night sky.

Himeko's ears swiveled forward at the signal, and she lifted her head slightly, her golden eyes gleaming eerily in the darkness. She heard the hunters pull their patrol to a stop at the sound of a lone wolf, so close by; she recognized the voice as Souma's, and reacted accordingly.

Tipping her head back, she opened her mouth and howled.

Souma howled again, Himeko's howl echoing his own; and slowly, as the golden wolf listened, she heard the others joining in. Makoto's voice, strong and sure, always confident of herself even as battle and death approached; Reiko and Corona, their voices mingling together in a way that they almost sounded as though they were one wolf; Kazuki's deep, crooning bay that could soothe any wolf; Nekoko's high pitched yelping howl, like that of a small pup who had not yet learned how to control their voice; Miyako's howl, gentle and soft but with an edge that promised bloodshed, as a wolf who had spilled both human and wolf blood in her prime; and finally Tsubasa's deep, throaty snarling call that was enough to make anyone stiffen, human or wolf.

Others joined in, her pack mates and wolves she had grown up with even if she didn't know them personally, fading away and calling out again with renewed strength, using the unity of their voices to throw the hunters off. Himeko could faintly smell fear coming from the ranks of the hunters, fear and confusion, and she narrowed her eyes.

The howls died away into silence; still growling softly Himeko crept closer, peering at the humans through the rocks, her muscles tense and her whole body trembling.

_This is it._

Another howl shattered the silence.

Recognizing the signal for what it was, Himeko surged forward and sprang from her hiding place.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

They'd known.

Out of the corner of her eye Chikane saw a flash of gold, pure fur and muscle; she heard a horse up ahead give a shrieking whinny and topple, and that was it.

She swung off her horse instinctively, dropping to the ground as wolves surged toward them. There were more of them than she dared to think about it, and where the _hell _had they all come from?

But they'd known. Her brain screamed it again and again, even as she whipped up an arm to shield her face. The wolf was a large light gray male, and the momentum of his attack made her skid back slightly and tumble, her whole body trembling with the effort of keeping his teeth away from her throat.

"Miya-sama!"

Izumi's frantic call slashed over the snarls and human cries and the sounds of weapons; narrowing her eyes and gritting her teeth, Chikane shifted so her free arm flew back, gripping an arrow. Because of her position she couldn't use her bow, but she didn't need it; twirling the arrow in her fingers, she thrust her arm forward with all her strength and drove the arrow straight through the side of the wolf's neck.

Blood spurted from the wound, warm and thick; the wolf yelped sharply in pain and staggered back, shaking its head frantically as though trying to dislodge the arrow, seeming unaware of the fact that causing the weapon to fall out would only make more blood spill and cause it to eventually bleed to death.

It never had a chance to bleed.

A gunshot roared over the battlefield; the wolf jerked once, its golden eyes widened and went dull. The muscles went limp, and it tumbled silently into the grass, blood dribbling from the small circle on its forehead.

_Holy crap. _Chikane swallowed gamely, fighting the bile that rose in her throat. _The bullet went clean through it._

She almost felt sorry for the beast. Almost.

"Miya-sama." Izumi gently touched her uninjured arm, jerking the blue-haired girl out of her reverie. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Chikane swallowed again and let Izumi pull her up, rubbing her injured arm gingerly. "I'm fine. Thanks."

"But your arm…"

"It's nothing. Just a flesh wound."

Flesh wound. Right. Izumi raised a brow, but said nothing as Chikane rubbed her arm, wincing a bit, before looking around. All hell had erupted; fur and skin flew together only to break apart, and blood splattered the grass and flew through the air, both wolf and human.

"They knew." Izumi looked at her senior with pained eyes. "Miya-sama, how did they know?"

"I don't know." Blood seeped through Chikane's fingers and dripped to the grass below, red staining green. "I don't know."

The moon shone brightly overhead, white and full. Gritting her teeth, Chikane looked away.

She saw a flash of reddish-brown; a young hunter, a man and green by the look of him, fleeing into the trees, a wolf hot on his heels.

Quietly, Chikane and Izumi exchanged looks. Izumi reloaded her gun; Chikane shifted her bow against her back to better accommodate her injured arm.

They followed the wolf.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

It was over before it could even begin; warm blood filled Himeko's mouth and she turned her head to the side, spitting to rid her tongue of the coppery taste. Stepping back, ignoring the feeling of blood that stained into her fur, she studied the hunter for a moment with narrow eyes.

He was dead. Her teeth had dug into his throat, had torn it open. He wasn't the first she'd killed, and he wouldn't be the last before the night was over.

Turning away, she swiveled her ears forward and tried to catch herself for a moment before spilling more human blood. She could just make out familiar scents over the blood that hung thickly in the air, and her eyes shot over the dark battlefield.

Her head shot up as she saw a human male break rank and flee for the trees, bleeding heavily from a wound to his shoulder and limping; she saw a wolf hurtle after him, and her heart flew into her throat when she recognized Makoto.

Without thinking she tore after her cousin, her heart pounding against her ribs so hard she was amazed it didn't break.

Only dimly was she aware of the two hunters who trailed her cousin.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Makoto caught the green hunter and dragged him down with ease; all through it she chanted in her head that it was like a hunt, clinging to his throat and not letting go until his hands stopped pounding against her shoulders and his eyes went dull.

It was like hunting, she thought numbly as she released the man's throat and stepped back, trying to ignore the way her shoulders and neck stung from his fists. She shook her head and spat, shuddering a little at the taste of human blood.

Her ears swiveled back; she froze. Instinct had her assuming her human form, though she knew that it wouldn't do shit on this kind of night. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder.

It was quick; human or wolf, there was no way she could have avoided it even if she tried. The gunshot was loud; the bullet pierced her leg. Blinding pain exploded in her leg and flared through her whole body, and Makoto fell with a scream. Whimpering and gasping she cradled her injured leg with her hands, feeling the warm blood seep through her fingers. Gritting her teeth, she slowly raised her eyes.

She recognized the Himemiya hunter instantly, and felt her whole body tense up even as her leg throbbed merrily in protest. The blue-haired girl had not been the one to shoot her down, though; no, that honor went to the girl beside her. Makoto didn't recognize her. "Well, well," the girl drawled, lowering her smoking gun slightly. "Think you're fooling anyone with that human skin, wolf?"

Makoto narrowed her eyes. "It's worked well in the past."

"I see. Miya-sama, may I ask something?"

Himemiya barely stirred. "Go ahead."

"We're still allowed to shoot, aren't we? Even if they look human?"

There was a moment of silence as Himemiya contemplated this; finally she shrugged, wincing a little and rubbing her sore arm to soothe it.

"She's a wolf. Her appearance won't change that. Do what you want."

The other girl smirked and turned her eyes back to Makoto; the auburn-haired girl gritted her teeth, wincing again as more of her blood spilled. "Wait." Himemiya laid a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "I want to ask her something first."

"What the hell makes you think…" Makoto winced. "… I'll answer you, huh?"

The blue-haired girl ignored her. "Why aren't you fighting back? Your leg was shot, but you could still stand if you put your mind to it. You could still fight us, try to escape. So why don't you?"

Makoto stared up at Himemiya without saying a word; beside her the other girl's eyes had widened and now were completely focused on the disguised wolf, as though she wanted to hear the answer as much as her fellow hunter did. Makoto laughed without humor and pushed sweaty strands of hair out of her eyes.

"Jeez, that's all you can think of? I almost feel insulted." She slowly closed her eyes. "But really, what's the point?" She shrugged. "I may be a wolf, but I'm not dumb. If you don't kill me now, I'll just go back out and get killed in battle. I can't fight with this leg, and I can't run away from the fight."

"Why not?"

"There's a wonderful little thing called pride. We wolves happen to hold it in very high regard."

"But that's no reason to—"

"It's a reason." Makoto's voice was soft. "Everyone has a reason for something, human or wolf. Doesn't matter what we are. All that matters is that we all have a reason, something to fight for. That's something I like to think we all have in common." She opened her eyes and smiled sadly. "Besides, I promised my little sister I wouldn't get myself killed, but I obviously won't be able to keep that promise. At the very least I want to die without her seeing it happen, because otherwise she'll want to avenge me or something." She blew out a long breath. "I don't want Hime to die because of me."

Makoto saw Himemiya's eyes widen slightly at the nickname she'd used without a thought. She shifted and hissed in pain as more blood spilled, a small red puddle beginning to form beneath her leg.

"Well, if you're eager to die…" The other hunter shrugged, lifting her gun and taking aim.

As she pulled the trigger, Makoto dimly heard a scream echo in her head. By the way Himemiya and her companion winced, it was obvious they'd heard it, too.

"_MAKO!"_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko's body trembled with the amount of energy she'd used to sprint from the battlefield and tackle her cousin, pinning her body to the grass. Her teeth just barely pricked the curve of Makoto's neck, her wolf form shielding the injured human who gasped beneath her. Dimly she felt her back ache a bit were the bullet had grazed her, felt blood slip through her fur, but ignored it.

She could hear the shooter gasping in pain, cradling her hand to her chest; Himeko had snapped at it as she flew by, dislodging the girl's grip on her gun and causing blood to flow. Slowly lifting her head from Makoto's neck, Himeko relaxed. _"Mako?" _Her voice was soft, the wall established; the humans wouldn't hear their mental conversation.

"_Yeah?" _Makoto shifted slightly to look up into golden eyes.

"_Are you okay? I'm sorry I came so late."_

"_Nah, I'm good. What's a bullet to the leg?" _Makoto grimaced. _"What about you, Hime?"_

"_Just a scratch. Better than you."_

"_Ha, ha. Funny."_

Narrowing her eyes, Himeko gave in to the urge for a moment and gently nipped at Makoto's neck, making her cousin squeak; slowly she lifted her head, focusing dark gold eyes on the two human hunters.

Her heart dropped to her paws when she saw Chikane; she narrowed her eyes.

"_What do you think, little sister?" _Makoto's voice was soft, but firm.

"_That girl beside her. She looks a little green to me."_

"_You want me to take her, then? I already told you, Chikane's your territory."_

"_Yeah. That sounds good."_

Moving slowly, Himeko shifted her body so she was standing between the hunters and Makoto; she pointedly ignored the other girl, focusing her eyes on Chikane and Chikane alone. The challenge was wordless but clear.

Without warning Himeko shot away, pointedly brushing Chikane with her shoulder as she sped away, giving the dark-haired girl one narrow look before disappearing into the trees. For a moment Chikane stared after the golden wolf; never one to resist a challenge, spoken or not, she shouldered her bow and ran after the wolf.

"Miya-sama?" Izumi turned in confusion, frowning.

The next instant she crumbled to the ground as she was—rather cruelly—pistol-whipped by Makoto, who had dived for her gun and used it to smack the girl clean across the face. The auburn haired girl slumped back to the ground, staring at the girl in disbelief.

"You're a wolf hunter? Really? Are you sure, because you know—_really_? I mean, you're good with a gun, but—REALLY?"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Instinct and memory took over; Himeko ran without even knowing exactly where her paws were taking her, letting nothing but her heart guide her. She had nothing left to lose.

She couldn't kill Chikane. Of that much, at least, she was dead certain. As she ran, she came to that conclusion in only a matter of seconds. She knew the blue-haired young hunter too well to tear her throat out. If this ended in blood, it would be her who lay dead in the grass, and Chikane would be none the wiser, still thinking Himeko had returned home and not knowing the truth about her.

With that thought in mind, she burst through the trees and stumbled to a halt, nearly falling, as she came into the clearing. The same clearing she and Chikane had seen wolves only a few nights ago, the same clearing where they'd danced….

_The same clearing where Tsuki's human mother was killed. The same clearing where Tsuki and Orihime had died._

The realization made Himeko's stomach roll.

A high whistling sound was her only warning; she ducked down and narrowly missed getting an arrow buried in her skull. It shot through the air and buried into a nearby tree; growling a little, the golden she-wolf swung around. _"A little hasty, aren't we?" _she snarled, baring her teeth slightly. _"I never said I wanted to kill you."_

"I kind of got the vibe you were thinking it, though."

Himeko breathed a mental sigh of relief. Hours of fighting and killing had roughened her voice slightly; Chikane didn't seem to recognize her. She snorted and lifted her head slightly, cocking it to the side and swiveling her ears forward. _"So now you can read my mind?"_

"… Maybe."

Snorting softly in the wolf equivalent of a laugh, Himeko shook her head. _"You're crazy," _she decided, sitting down and wrapping her tail around her paws. _"Even for a human." _The moonlight touched her fur silver, making the shell pendant around her neck gleam.

Chikane saw it immediately.

"Where did you get that?"

It took a moment for Himeko to realize exactly what she was referring to; she lowered her eyes, gazing at the pendant that rested against her chest. _"What, this?" _She narrowed her eyes and looked at Chikane again.

And that was when it hit her. The perfect way to lure Chikane into killing her without the risk of revealing herself.

She lifted her eyes and stood, stretching leisurely. _"I got it off a human," _she said conversationally, rolling her shoulders and shaking her fur. She moved her shoulders in a wolf shrug. _"Some girl. Can't remember her name for the life of me, though." _She parted her jaws in a yawn and sat down again, studying her paws with a bored expression. _"Pretty easy to kill, she was. Put up a bit of a fight, but she bled easily enough. A pretty thing, too. Golden hair, clear eyes."_

Himeko shot Chikane a discreet look out of the corner of her eye. It was obvious that the young hunter knew exactly who she was talking about; the color had completely drained from her face, her eyes wide and so anguished that it took all of the golden wolf's restraint to not transform and pull the other girl into her arms.

"_She said a name before she died," _the golden she-wolf continued, making a show of tilting her head back and gazing up at the sky, as though trying to recall the words. _"Something… about a girl, I think. What was it? Chika, Chika, something with Chika in it… Chikane-chan? Yeah, that's it. Chikane-chan."_

A choked whimper eased past Chikane's lips; Himeko lowered her eyes and gazed at the young hunter, and she bared her teeth, letting her fur bristle as she stood.

"_So tell me…" _Her lips curved in a cruel wolf smile. _"… Where were you when she needed you most, 'Chikane-chan'?"_

And with that, she attacked.

She moved fast and low, using Chikane's shock and grief as an advantage; the momentum of her attack was enough to send the dark-haired girl stumbling back, and Himeko's jaws closed on her bow, yanking it from her fingers as she leaped over her.

Skidding, Himeko managed to stumble to a halt and whirl around, still gripping Chikane's bow in her teeth. Rearing up onto her hind legs she snapped the bow neatly in two and hurled it away, sending it crashing into the grass somewhere; spitting out bits of wood, she turned to face the blue-haired hunter again.

Chikane had managed to get up onto her knees at this point, though her head was low; Himeko couldn't see her eyes. Growling low in her throat, the golden wolf streaked to her again.

_Come on, Chikane-chan, come on, I know you have it in you…_

With a snarl, Himeko sprang into the air.

Chikane's arm was a blur.

The gunshot rang through the clearing like a bomb.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

From where she sat guard over Izumi, having no real choice in the matter due to her injured leg, Makoto looked up sharply at the sound of gunfire, the scent of gunpowder. Her eyes widened; her fingers curled into fists. "Himeko," she choked out as Souma stumbled through the trees in his human form, panting and his black hair falling into his eyes.

At the battlefield, Tsubasa's head shot up; his ears swiveled forward. Narrowing his good eye, he slipped away and sped into the trees, a blur of white.

Overhead dark clouds began to form, blocking out the stars and the moon above.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Himeko's body fell silently through the air, her muscles limp; she hit the grass with only a dull thud and lay there, unmoving. Chikane was braced on her knees, panting, tears leaking out of her eyes and down her cheeks. A gun was gripped tightly in her shaking hand, pulled free from the harness at her hip at the last moment. Her whole body trembled.

Blood pooled beneath Himeko's body, dark and black in the darkness of night, black with just a tint of weak silver from the moon above. The golden wolf's eyes were closed, her body still and her muscles limp.

Around her neck, the shell pendant was stained with blood.

It began to rain.

Panting, ignoring the rain that fell all around her, Chikane slowly lowered her gun; she staggered to her feet, trembling, and slowly walked toward the fallen wolf, eyes narrow. As she watched, the wolf's eyes slowly opened; gold and dull, dazed from pain.

"… _You missed my heart…"_

Himeko's voice was soft, groggy; the bullet had struck not her chest but her shoulder, not that it did much to lessen the damage. Her whole leg was numb; she could only imagine what had happened. Wincing, she shifted her body and froze at the soft click, lifting her eyes.

Chikane had the gun aimed at her head. One bullet in the brain—that was all it would take.

The golden wolf swallowed. _"I'm surprised your first bullet didn't kill me…"_

"Shut up."

Himeko let her voice fade away and watched the raindrops drip from Chikane's fingers, roll off the barrel of her gun; she closed her eyes and made a decision. God forgive her for her weakness… but she had to have this last goodbye.

"… _Do you… wish to see my human form?"_

"What?"

"_My human… form. Do you… want to see it?"_

"Why?" Chikane's voice was harsh, angry, pained. "It won't change the fact that I'm going to kill you."

"_Don't be so quick to say that." _Himeko slowly opened her eyes. _"You might be surprised to see… who I really am."_

"I thought I told you—"

"_Have you forgotten already…?" _Himeko laughed softly, without humor. _"This is the path I'm walking… Chikane-chan. This is why you can't follow me."_

Chikane's eyes widened; her face registered nothing but shock. Seeing her chance, Himeko focused on her human form, wincing and grimacing as pain shot through her body. The bullet hadn't struck her heart, but it had been dangerously close to her left lung; she was having a hard time breathing.

Despite it, she managed to make the change as easily as she'd always done.

"… Himeko?"

In the silence, Himeko bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight the hot burn of tears, her fingers curling into fists against the wet grass. "I'm sorry, Chikane-chan," she rasped. "I'm so sorry."

The rain continued to fall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This chapter was a _bitch _to write; I knew what I wanted to happen but it didn't come to me easily. I hate it when that happens. My favorite part though was probably Makoto's little monologue when Chikane asks her question... Dunno, I feel like it kinda sums up the fic on its own. (sweatdrops)

Read and review, please!


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: _I don't own KnM, stop reminding me.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 16_

"_And although we knew  
__This time would come for me and you  
__Don't say anything tonight  
__If you're gonna say goodbye."_

-Skillet

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Wincing, grimacing in pain, Himeko slowly shifted up onto her knees, bringing one hand up to her injured shoulder to try and stem the bleeding and access the damage. Chikane's bullet had been true; it had struck the fragile area between the golden-haired girl's neck and shoulder. It was a miracle her left lung was still intact, though the pain she felt every time she drew breath warned her that she wouldn't last much longer.

Her whole arm felt numb, but the place where she'd been shot stung and throbbed against her fingers as fresh blood dripped to the grass only to be washed away by the rain. It was an odd feeling, she thought dimly. Maybe she was just in shock. She coughed and, bringing a hand to her mouth, saw blood.

_Oh. Great._

Wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, Himeko glanced nervously at Chikane. The dark-haired girl hadn't said a single word since the revelation, staring at the other before her with wide eyes. "Chikane-chan?" Himeko asked weakly, waving a hand in front of her eyes. "Hello, anyone home in there?"

The past few days with Chikane had made Himeko forget that she was dealing with one of the most dangerous wolf hunters alive; in a heartbeat Chikane's eyes cleared and narrowed before her hand shot out, her fingers closing tightly on Himeko's wrist. The sharp pain made Himeko growl in protest, and for a moment her form wavered between human and wolf as she battled her own body. "You're a wolf."

It wasn't a question; Himeko swallowed and tried to ignore the needles pricking her wrist where Chikane's fingers dug in. "Yes." She met Chikane's gaze evenly, refusing to be shamed. "I am."

Those blue eyes darkened dangerously. "So you lied to me."

"Define lie." Himeko's voice was cold. "Because yes, I lied about some things when I was with you. But I didn't lie about everything."

"What the hell—"

"You're the wolf hunter. Figure it out. Now let go of me."

Chikane never had a chance; Himeko twisted her wrist, ignoring the flash of pain, and jerked it away, scooting back a little and establishing some distance between herself and the young hunter. The action cost her dearly, as almost immediately she doubled over, coughing raggedly. Blood left her mouth and spattered the wet grass, and Chikane felt her heart fly up into her throat.

_Crap. _Himeko's uninjured hand flew up to caress her throat as the air whistled painfully through her left lung. She closed her eyes. "You're a good shot," she managed weakly, lifting her eyes. "I think you'll still manage to kill me before the night's over."

"_Then why the hell did you let me shoot you in the first place?!"_

Anger and betrayal sounded loudly in Chikane's ragged voice, but above all else was guilt; Himeko's eyes widened, and she subconsciously flinched away from the dark-haired girl. "Well… I knew I couldn't kill you, so…" She swallowed. "I didn't… originally intend to show myself, you see, so I had it planned that you would kill me… since I couldn't kill you…"

"_Why would I want to kill you if I lo—"_

Only a second before the words left Chikane's mouth she seemed to realize what she was about to say and rapidly slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Himeko blinked and pushed wet hair out of her face, looking uncertainly at the hunter. "Chikane-chan?" she asked. "You what?"

"… Nothing."

"But you were about to say something…."

"It's nothing!"

Pursuing the topic wouldn't bring anything; Himeko knew Chikane well enough to know when the other girl was trying to shut her out or leave her out of something, and now was one of those times. She could practically see the doors slamming shut in Chikane's eyes and winced. "Chikane-chan?"

"… Can I… ask you something?"

"Yes…"

"When you said… that you didn't lie about everything… what did you mean by that?"

Himeko wasn't in the mood for this; not when her shoulder ached and her lung burned and rain soaked her to the bone, not when her pack mates were having their blood spilled for the simple crime of existing and she chased the ghost of a blue-eyed, black-furred half breed even now. She scowled and ran a hand through her hair.

"Well, gee, y'know, when I kinda leaned over last night and said I loved you, I might have possibly meant that." Sarcasm dripped from her every word even as her voice and body shook. She lifted one hand to scrub at her eyes. Damn the rain. "But, see, since I'm a _wolf _and apparently my very _existence _is a crime, you might have a hard time believing that, even if I told you now…" She faltered, took a deep breath. "… That I meant every word of it."

Himeko's lung chose that moment to act up again, and another coughing spell gripped the disguised wolf; she shuddered as she tasted her own blood and turned her head to the side, spitting to rid her tongue of the taste. She shook her head before looking back at Chikane. "Look… if you want to kill me… go ahead. I won't fight you. I'm probably dying anyway, so—"

"_You're not dying!" _The anguish in Chikane's voice made Himeko instinctively shrink. "I thought… aren't wolves able to take a lot of abuse?!"

"You'd be surprised at the list of things we can survive." The golden-haired girl managed a weak smile. "Damage to a lung happens to be one of those things that we either survive or die from." She winced as her shoulder throbbed. "But, seeing as it was a choice between killing you and just taking the shot…."

The rain was falling hard and fast, drowning out any sound and all but washing away any traces of scent that the cold night wind carried; despite it all Himeko's head shot up as she detected a faint glimmer of a scent on the breeze, and ignoring her pain she turned, positioning her body between the trees and Chikane with narrow eyes. The young hunter stiffened. "Himeko?" She hesitated before resting a hand on the other girl's uninjured shoulder. "Himeko, what's wrong?"

Himeko said nothing, inhaling deeply and trying to place the scent she was getting; it was weakened by the rain and faint, so she couldn't quite name it; it was a wolf, she knew that much, but she couldn't tell which wolf…

Just barely she could hear, if she focused with all her might, the sound of paws against wet grass, the breath that whistled through the wolf's lungs as it approached. Her eyes widened, and her heart gave a painful jolt. Without a second thought she surged forward with a snarl, dropping her human skin in favor of the fur and muscle of her wolf form.

A blur of white from the trees, a flash of red; a sickening crack split the night air.

"_Himeko!"_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

A high pitched yelp of pain shattered the air, slashing through the rain like a knife. Makoto and Souma both froze, listening intently. Makoto's eyes widened. "Himeko," she whimpered before whipping her eyes to the disguised black wolf beside her. "Souma, that was Himeko!"

His muscles tensed as he prepared to abandon his human form. "Can you run?"

Her leg throbbed steadily, blood still seeping through the clothe she'd torn from her arm to tie across the wound, but she ignored it. "Of course I can."

They looked briefly at each other; Makoto cocked her head slightly to the side and smirked, her eyes gleaming as though she dared Souma to contradict her. He chuckled and leaned forward for a moment, brushing her hair out of her eyes, before turning away. "If you say you can do it, then let's go."

With that the two wolves dropped their human forms and streaked through the trees, heading in the direction the yelp had come from.

_Don't let us be too late, _Makoto begged silently, ignoring the burn from her injured leg as she ran beside Souma. _Please, don't let us be too late._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Low growls echoed quietly through the clearing. Blood dripped to the grass, a mixture of the two wolves currently tangled together. Just as the large white male had streaked from the trees, his eyes intent on the young dark-haired hunter, the golden wolf had charged forward. Both had sunk their teeth into the other; his teeth in the back of her neck, hers on his shoulder. Her smaller body was bowed against the strength and weight of his own, but she dug her paws into the grass and held on.

If she noticed the fact that she couldn't feel her left leg, she ignored it.

"_Well, well, well." _Himeko's ear flicked as Tsubasa's deep voice rumbled through her head. _"Looks like you take after Tsuki in more ways than one."_

"_You're the one who…" _She winced as he dug his teeth in. _"… Never told me we were related. Maybe this… never would have happened if I'd known."_

"_But… you don't regret it."_

"… _No."_

A low sigh blew through her head like a passing wind; shooting a look out of the corner of her eye, Himeko could tell Chikane was hearing every word the two wolves were saying. The shock hadn't completely worn away yet, which was the only reason so far that she was just staring at the pair in front of her, unsure of what exactly was going on.

Another sigh snapped Himeko's attention back to the large First Head. _"Then it can't be helped," _he rumbled. _"You brought this on yourself."_

His single eye darkened and narrowed; with a snarl he dug his teeth deeper into the back of Himeko's neck, making the golden she-wolf yelp again, weakly, before he twisted his head. He felt only a sting as Himeko's teeth were torn from his shoulder. Using his size and strength to his advantage, the white wolf reared up onto his hind legs, lifting Himeko clean off her paws, before flinging her back behind him. The smaller wolf tumbled through the wet grass, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.

"Himeko!"

Completely ignoring Chikane in favor of the fallen wolf, Tsubasa swung around and walked calmly to where Himeko lay, struggling up onto her paws only to slide back into the grass, whimpering, as her left leg crumbled beneath her weight. He jerked to a halt as a bullet shot through the air, narrowly grazing his shoulder. He whipped his head around, baring his teeth slightly.

Chikane was braced on her knees again, the gun aimed for the second time that night. Her eyes were narrow because of the rain, but her grip had been steady and the shot had been sure. A low snarl rumbled from Tsubasa's lips as he turned away from Himeko. _"Just can't keep out of this, can you?" _Muscles rippled beneath snowy fur that glimmered wetly as the rain fell. _"Seems you're just like Orihime."_ He snarled again and sprang, a blur of white.

"_Chikane-chan! NO!"_

A dark shape leaped easily over Chikane, its back legs just barely brushing the back of her head; she froze, and her eyes widened as a wolf landed in front of her, fur bristling and teeth bared. At the exact same moment a blur of red-brown crashed into Tsubasa head on, full force, sending both of them through the grass in a jumbled ball. _"Mako! Souma!" _Himeko howled, recognizing the two wolves.

"_Hey, Himeko. Long time no see." _Souma lifted his head and flicked an ear to acknowledge the golden she-wolf. _"You look well."_

"_What are you both doing here?!"_

"_Helping you out." _Makoto grunted as she staggered to her feet, weaving as her bad leg screamed in protest. _"I figured you'd do something like this, little sister." _She glanced briefly at Chikane before sighing. _"She'd better be worth this."_

For a brief moment Makoto had turned her attention away from the First Head to speak to Himeko. It would be her biggest mistake.

Moving fast, the white wolf rolled and whipped his head around. His teeth dug into Makoto's injured leg. The reddish-brown wolf froze for a moment; her eyes widened in stunned disbelief as pain tore through her leg before she was dragged roughly down, pinned beneath the male's larger body. A scream ripped through the heads of everyone in the clearing, and Chikane winced at how _human _it sounded.

"_Mako!"_

Ignoring her own pain, knowing what would happen if Makoto lay beneath Tsubasa's paws any longer, Himeko lurched to her feet, fighting the numbness that threatened to spread through her body. Her vision was blurry, from both the spreading numbness and the rain that fell into her eyes, but she ignored it and focused on attacking the white wolf that towered over her cousin, her sister.

Another shot from Chikane was enough to shake Tsubasa's concentration; the white wolf turned away briefly from Makoto as another bullet drove through the grass, just skinning his leg. The distraction was enough for Himeko to get in fast, and her teeth sank into his neck as the momentum of her tackle sent them rolling through the grass and away from Makoto. _"Souma!" _the golden wolf howled, focusing on her old friend for only a moment. _"Get Chikane-chan out of here!"_

"_What?" _The black wolf's head shot up.

"_You heard me, didn't you? Get Chikane-chan away from here and take her somewhere safe! And when you do that, find Miyako, fast!"_

For a moment the young black male was torn, knowing the importance of following Himeko's order but at the same time not wanting to abandon the two she-wolves to fight his brother—especially when both of them were injured. _"Himeko…"_

"_GO! You're the fastest of us, the only one who isn't too badly hurt and can still run… so RUN!"_

He closed his eyes. There was no choice now. _"Dammit," _he rasped thickly before taking on his human form again. Moving almost in a blur because of his speed and the rain, the boy knelt, scooped Chikane up, and ran as fast as his legs would allow. A snarl of pure rage escaped Tsubasa and he whipped his head around, gripping Himeko's shoulder even as his body dipped in a roll. Himeko screeched as she was pinned between the large wolf and the ground, and her claws scrabbled frantically against his fur, trying to dislodge him as her air flow was cut off.

Bad leg or no bad leg, Makoto was still a fierce fighter, especially when the life of a loved one dangled in the balance; she landed hard on Tsubasa's back, digging her claws into his shoulders as her teeth dug into his neck. With a howl the white wolf reared back and Himeko stumbled away, gasping and panting; Makoto gave his neck one last sharp bite before jumping off, landing next to Himeko and nearly falling as her bad leg buckled. "Crap."She closed her eyes. "My leg… shit, I'm sorry, Hime."

"It's okay."The golden wolf flicked her ear. "Not your fault."

The two wolves focused on Tsubasa. The snowy white wolf was angry; his fur bristled and his lips were drawn back, his teeth bared and low growls rumbling from his throat. Himeko swallowed, trying to accept the idea that she would have to fight the First Head to protect everyone she loved. "I've never seen him like this,"she whispered weakly.

"He hates humans, remember?"Makoto's body all but sang with tension when her shoulder brushed Himeko's. "That rage… that's what makes him like this right now."

"But… Miyako was a—"

Tsubasa lunged at that moment, cutting off Himeko's train of thought; the two smaller wolves instinctively scattered, breaking away from each other so they were both on either side of the larger male wolf. Makoto struck first, hard and fast, turning her shoulder into Tsubasa's and causing the white wolf to stagger; Himeko took advantage of the stumble to shoot in, and with a snap at his legs she sent the First Head down into the grass.

He hadn't become the First Head for nothing, though; rolling with the blow, Tsubasa managed to sweep one massive paw along the ground and smash into Makoto's legs, and the reddish-brown female staggered back with a snarl as her bad leg throbbed. Himeko scrambled back to avoid the blow, her eyes wide and her muscles tense.

They had to keep the white wolf distracted, long enough for Souma to take Chikane safely away and long enough for the black wolf to find Miyako and bring her back. From there on, whatever happened was strictly between the First Head and the Second Head. Of all the wolves, Miyako was probably the only one who could take Tsubasa on alone and possibly win.

The thought had only flitted through Himeko's brain for a grand total of three seconds, but the lapse was enough. With a snarl Tsubasa materialized in front of her, his forehead colliding with hers, the weight of his body forcing her head, neck, and shoulders down so she almost seemed to be bowing to the larger wolf; the next instant he jerked his head up, and the momentum of his attack sent Himeko flying backward, rolling through the grass yet again. Lowering his head again, Tsubasa stalked toward the fallen wolf.

Her bad leg had caused Makoto to sink to the grass, only half raised, but with a snarl she lunged forward, her teeth closing on Tsubasa's back right leg. Tsubasa jerked once before going deathly still; slowly he tilted his head to look down at Makoto, whose whole body was trembling with the effort of holding on to the larger wolf. His single eye narrowed, darkened. Makoto's own eyes widened, but she didn't dare let go.

There was a blur of white; blood splattered the grass, appearing black because of the darkness and already being washed away by the rain.

"_MAKO! NO!"_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Souma stumbled to a halt in front of a large cluster of rocks, tightening his grip slightly on the struggling Chikane. "Calm down, would you?" he hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"Let me _go_! Himeko is—"

"She doesn't _want _you there, why do you think she wanted me to take you away? Now calm down and keep still, or I'll drop you!"

Chikane glared up at Souma with narrow eyes, but he ignored her, establishing the mental link; he'd detected the faint scent in the rain as he ran, and this was the safest place he could imagine for the young hunter Himeko loved. _"Jin?" _he called, keeping his voice low. _"Jin, you there?"_

There was a rustle of movement from the rocks, a soft yip; the next instant a small, rain-soaked chocolate brown wolf pup crept cautiously through the rocks, his head shooting up and his eyes widening before he bounded over to stand over Souma, laying on his belly with his front paws dangling over the edge of the rock. _"Souma? What are you doing here?" _He looked at Chikane, blinked. _"… Who is she?"_

"_Human Himeko loves, meet my nephew Jin." _Souma was already lifting Chikane up, carefully setting her into the small den hidden among the rocks. _"Jin, meet the human Himeko loves. Keep an eye on her, okay? Make sure she doesn't try and sneak off, and tell the pups everything's going to be okay. I need to find your mom."_

"_Um… okay." _Jin slipped quietly to the side as Chikane shifted, wagging his tail timidly when she looked at him. _"Uh, hi."_

"… Hi."

Content for the moment, Souma stepped back, dropping his human form. _"Promise me, Jin," _he said, looking at his nephew. _"You'll keep an eye on her, okay? Promise?"_

"_Yeah." _The small pup crept closer, leaning down slightly to touch noses with the black wolf. _"I promise."_

"_That's my boy."_

Chikane watched the exchange between uncle and nephew quietly, not daring to speak lest a single word ruined what she was seeing. She felt her heart melt a little.

The next instant, a sharp, high-pitched yelp pierced the night sky.

They all froze; Souma's ears shot back as he tried to figure out who had yelped. Jin looked nervously at the black wolf, and Chikane had to fight the urge to leap down and run back to the clearing. _"No," _the black wolf rasped, swinging away. _"Oh, God, Mako." _It was obvious he intended to return to the clearing battle.

"Hey… hey! Black wolf! You!"

Souma looked back at Chikane; he bared his teeth. _"What do you—"_

"Himeko told you to find… what's her name… Miyako, didn't she? She said if you do, this ends, right? So_ find _her! The sooner you do, the sooner you can actually help either of them!"

For a moment they looked at each other, human and wolf both thinking the same thoughts; finally Souma blew out a long breath before turning away, streaking in the opposite direction. Chikane watched him go before looking back in the direction of the clearing. She made up her mind.

"_So, uh… hey, hey, whoa! What are you doing?! Souma told you to stay here!"_

Chikane's feet hit the grass. "I'm not good at taking orders, kid."

"_B… but… he told me to protect you! I promised!"_

She adjusted her bow, scowled, and shrugged it off, pushing blue strands of wet hair out of her eyes. "I don't need to be protected."

"_But I promised…"_

Chikane paused for a moment as Jin hovered on the rocks over her, obviously torn; she sighed and looked up at him. "Kid… what's your name? I'm Chikane."

"_Jin." _The pup inched cautiously closer to the edge, tensing his tiny muscles. _"My name's Jin."_

"Well, then, Jin." Chikane smirked up at him, moving closer to make the leap easier. "Let's go."

Jin's eyes lit up. _"'Kay."_

The pup sprang down, landing easily on Chikane's shoulders and shifting his weight; adjusting to the warm weight, the blue-haired girl took off, running through the trees.

As she ran, the rain finally stopped falling.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

At the last possible instant Makoto had managed to twist, to roll her body so her right shoulder was torn apart, not her throat; but it did nothing at all to lessen the pain.

The pain was incredible; the force of the attack was enough to force her to release Tsubasa's leg, and the only thing that kept her from blacking out right then and there was sheer adrenaline and willpower, though darkness danced tauntingly around her vision as it blurred and spun. She became human without even realizing it, scooting back even as her breath escaped her in choked, ragged whimpers as she brought her hand up to her shoulder.

She couldn't fight, not anymore—she'd already been pushing her limits with the bullet wound to her right leg, but this last blow had completely destroyed the right side of her body. Continuing to battle on now would only be suicidal; indeed, had she not twisted, her throat would have been torn open and she'd probably already be dead, her life bleeding into the wet grass as the rain ceased to fall.

Tsubasa snarled quietly; he began to turn around, swinging his sight away from Himeko. The next instant he was blindsided as the golden-furred wolf charged past him, slamming her shoulder into his and snapping at his neck, sending him stumbling as she assumed a stance between him and her cousin, fighting to ignore the nausea that had risen in her stomach when her left shoulder made contact with his.

Himeko wasn't much better, Makoto thought grimly. While it seemed as though Himeko felt no pain in her left leg, her body stance indicated that she was finding it difficult to rest her full weight on the offending foot. The golden wolf turned her head to the side for a moment, coughing; Makoto saw blood drip to the grass and swallowed hard, eyes wide. "Hime," she whispered.

"_It's nothing. I'm fine." _Himeko coughed again, ignoring the bitter taste of blood, and focused on Tsubasa. _"I'll last until Souma comes back with Miyako."_

The golden wolf bared her teeth as Tsubasa rose again, and Makoto bit her lip, closing her eyes.

_Miyako can't come fast enough, _she realized, but she knew it was too late.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Miyako! Miyako, where are you? _Miyako_!"

Souma's frantic howl did nothing to break Miyako out of her concentration; the chocolate brown female only flicked her ear before she gave the last blow to the hunter struggling beneath her paws, tearing his throat out in one clean bite. Lifting her head, ignoring the blood that dripped from her muzzle, she tried to gather her thoughts as Souma burst through the trees.

The battle was utter chaos. At this point it was nothing but a fight for survival; the pack had lost nearly half its members, maybe even more, judging from the scent of death that hung over the area. The humans had also taken heavy hits… but neither side was willing to back down. Miyako saw the dead body of Nekoko among the fighters and turned her head away, fighting the bile that rose in her throat as she staggered through the fight to Souma.

The black wolf's eyes widened. "Look out! Behind you!"

Miyako whipped around just as she heard the unmistakable clink of bracelets; the hunter who had been rearing up behind her, a dagger in his hand, fell with only a shrill scream as Corona dragged him down roughly, her golden eyes narrow and her ears flat against her skull. Reiko wasn't far behind her mate, though Miyako could instantly see why she wasn't currently involved in the fight; in her jaws she carried a small light gray wolf pup, the tiny body trembling. "Who's that?" the Second Head rasped.

"Her name's Shirayuki." Corona lifted her head from her kill, taking a moment to spit out droplets of blood. "She panicked when we evacuated the pups and ran back to find her parents." She looked at her old friend, her eyes pained. "They're dead, Miyako. They're both dead."

Reiko said nothing, just gently set Shirayuki back to earth so she could readjust her grip on the pup; Miyako turned back to Souma, content for the moment that they were safe. "What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's… It's Tsubasa." Souma swallowed hard, hating the way the words stuck in his throat. "He… he saw Himeko with that hunter, and he…"

"What?" Terror formed, a cold, hard ball of ice in Miyako's belly.

"He's… I don't know! Please, Miyako, you have to come! I… I left Himeko and Makoto there, they told me to leave them… he'll kill them!"

Without another word Miyako pushed past Souma and disappeared into the trees, only dimly aware of the black wolf following her, of Reiko and Corona exchanging worried glances before racing after them.

_Tsubasa!_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Himeko."

"_Yeah?"_

"Don't lie to me. You aren't fine, are you?"

Himeko didn't respond; she merely narrowed her eyes to golden slits as Tsubasa swung around again, a large white killing machine. She risked a quick glance back at Makoto, trying to weigh her options.

She couldn't make Makoto run; her right leg was still weak, and if she fled now there was no doubt that she'd be shot down by a lone hunter, weak as she was. As much as the golden wolf wanted her cousin away from the bloodshed, she knew it was better to say nothing and let her stay put, gather her strength; at the very least, Himeko could keep Tsubasa occupied until Miyako came.

If she had to die so Makoto would live, so be it. Around her neck, the shell pendant was already stained with blood.

With a snarl, the two wolves charged, twin blurs of gold and white. They collided, their bodies brushing with a sickening thud, snapping as they flew by only to skid around and do it again. Blood sprayed through the air and fell to the gleaming grass, and the scent of rain hung heavily in the air.

Moving in low, Tsubasa snapped at Himeko's paws; the golden wolf staggered and stumbled, off balance, as she tried to keep his teeth from hitting their mark; seeing his chance the white wolf tackled her head on, his teeth sinking into her back as he dragged her down in a cloud of dust and blood.

"Himeko!"

The sound of Makoto's frantic scream made Himeko struggle mightily, but Tsubasa had her pinned down good and refused to let her up. He narrowed his good eye and tightened his hold; pain exploded in her back, raced down her spine and spread through her whole body, and Himeko whimpered weakly.

"DAD! Dad, what are you doing?!"

The small, shocked voice made Tsubasa stiffen and lift his head away; Himeko groaned and tried to rise, but her pain was too great. She lay in the grass, unmoving, and focused only on steadying her ragged breathing.

From his perch on Chikane's shoulders, Jin whimpered and huddled closer to the hunter. _"What's wrong with him?" _he whispered tearfully, and it nearly broke her heart. _"Why's he like that? Why is Dad trying to kill Himeko?"_

"She fell in love with a human." Chikane lifted her gun, pulled the trigger. "She fell in love with me."

The bullet drove through Tsubasa's shoulder, clean through and out the other end to land somewhere in the clearing among the blades of grass. With a snarl Tsubasa's rage grew and he leaped toward Chikane, moving fast like a bullet; she couldn't see him clearly.

"_Chikane-chan! Why did you come back?!"_

Chikane didn't dare reply, just lifted her gun again and tried to get another shot at Tsubasa; but he was moving too damn _fast_, just a blur really, she couldn't tell where he was going…

"_NO! First Head, please!"_

"_Dad, DON'T!"_

Only dimly was Chikane suddenly aware of the lack of warmth, of weight on her shoulders; numbly she saw the small brown body leap down from her, leap between her body and the jaws of the large white wolf that hurtled toward her, saw the transformation happen in less than a second…

"_Oh my God… Jin! JIN!!!"_

Himeko's shrill scream brought Chikane crashing into reality; she stared, numb with shock and horror, at the small boy who hung limply in Tsubasa's jaws, blood dripping from his back where the white wolf's teeth had dug deep and pierced his flesh. Her eyes widened. "Jin?" she choked out, unable to comprehend that the boy before her was the same lively wolf pup she'd only just begun to know. "Jin?"

Tsubasa's single eye widened; his grip on Jin loosened, he opened his mouth, and the small boy slid into the grass without a single sound, his face pale and his eyes closed as blood darkened the back of his shirt. Without a second thought Chikane fell to her knees next to the boy, gathering him into her arms and pressing a hand to the wound to try and stem the bleeding. "Jin," she whispered raggedly, brushing loose strands of light green hair out of closed eyes. "Jin, come on, kid. Don't do this." Her voice wavered, cracked. "Jin, please, open your eyes."

Jin groaned weakly, stirred in her arms; but his eyes never opened. With a soft sob Chikane held the boy close, relieved nonetheless; he was still alive.

She looked back up sharply; her eyes widened and she shrank away as Tsubasa stepped closer.

The next instant he howled and reared back as Himeko landed on him, her claws digging into his shoulders and her teeth latching on to his neck. He spun away from the pair, snarling, and charged around the clearing, slamming the smaller wolf into nearby trees and rocks. Despite the searing pain and cracking she heard, Himeko held on tightly, her eyes narrow.

There was a ripping sound as the fur was torn clean off Tsubasa's body, leaving a bloody spot where there had once been pure white; losing her grip Himeko tumbled through the grass and sat up sharply, teeth bared and fur bristling. She had barely gotten to her paws when Tsubasa streaked past her, his teeth ripping through her side. The momentum of the large wolf's attack was enough to send Himeko clean off her paws; she hung in the air for a single moment before hitting ground again with a dull thud.

Urged on by nothing but adrenaline, Himeko started to surge to her paws, teeth bared in a snarl; only to fall back into the grass and stare, numbly, at the blood pooling beneath her body. A large gash slashed down across her side, curving sharply into her stomach, blood gushing from the wound to form a pool of red, staining her fur and the grass. Dazed, she slowly slumped back into the grass as she felt her strength fading away. Through blurry eyes she saw Tsubasa stalking toward her, felt him push her down, felt a paw crush against her throat.

Chikane's eyes widened. "Himeko!" She started to rise; then hissed sharply in pain and went back down as her side shrieked in pain. Looking down, she saw a long, shallow cut along her side; evidently, when Tsubasa had attacked her, he had managed to claw her before Jin had intervened. "Himeko! _Himeko_!"

"No!" Makoto's voice was anguished, but she was just as helpless.

Himeko felt Tsubasa's teeth begin to prick her throat; she shuddered and closed her eyes…

"_TSUBASA!"_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Tsubasa was thrown back, a bloody gash on his chest; he flew through the air before hitting the ground, sliding through the grass without a sound. Shocked, Himeko's eyes snapped open.

Miyako towered over her, her fur bristling and her teeth bared; blood dripped from her jaws. It had been she who had screamed; she had been the one who had knocked Tsubasa away. "Miyako,"the golden wolf rasped weakly.

"Shhh."Miyako stepped back, lowering her head for a moment to brush Himeko's cheek with her muzzle. "Rest, Himeko. You've done enough."

"He… Miyako… Jin…"

Wordlessly, Miyako lifted her head again, surveying the scene quietly; Corona had already slipped past her, heading straight for Makoto just as Kazuki emerged from the trees, gasping for breath and covered in blood. Her eyes narrowed briefly when she saw Jin, cradled in Chikane's arms. Souma's shoulder brushed hers as he bounded over to the pair, with the intent of retrieving his dazed nephew.

After a moment, the Second Head stepped over Himeko and faced Tsubasa.

The white wolf staggered to his paws, glaring at his mate, his good eye narrow and dark. "Now _you _defend her, too?" he snarled.

"Tsubasa." Her voice was soft. "This is wrong, and you know it."

"Wrong? _Wrong_? She is in love with a human! You _know _what that means! That is a threat to the whole pack…"

"_The pack is dead!" _Miyako's voice was ragged with tears that could not fall in her wolf form. _"They're being killed right now! There's nothing left to protect!"_

Tsubasa's body began to tremble, but he said nothing; Miyako took a deep breath and lifted her head, her golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "And if loving a human is a crime," she growled, "then you can't kill Himeko without killing me."

And with that, she took her human form.

"Have you forgotten?" she hissed as Souma cautiously crept past her, carrying Jin in his jaws, as Corona and Kazuki helped Makoto limp over to the group. "Have you forgotten that _I _was human, once, too? Have you forgotten who I _was_? If what you say is true, if a price must be paid…" She closed her eyes.

"_Then kill me!"_

That did it; something inside Tsubasa snapped, and he surged forward with a snarl. Miyako did nothing to escape.

"_MIYAKO!"_

The momentum of Tsubasa's attack sent both of them down, Tsubasa pinning the dark-skinned woman beneath him easily; but Himeko could see he hadn't taken the fatal bite to kill, his teeth were just barely breaking Miyako's skin, his whole body trembling and his golden eye focused on hers. Miyako winced, her breath coming in whimpers, and slowly raised a hand, resting it on Tsubasa's neck, running her fingers through his fur. "Tsubasa…"

"_I… I can't." _The white wolf's voice was anguished. _"I can't…"_

And with that, he slipped into unconsciousness. As he sagged into Miyako and released his hold on her the woman slowly sat up, blowing out a long breath. "Miyako," Corona said uncertainly, in her human form; at this point, all of the wolves had taken on their forms, even Jin who had just been coaxed out of his stupor. "Mom." His voice was small. "Is Dad gonna be okay."

"Yeah." Miyako gathered Tsubasa into her arms, slowly rising, cradling the white wolf. "He'll be fine. Can you stand, Himeko?"

Instead of replying, Himeko narrowed her eyes and slowly staggered to her paws, weaving as blood spilled and her vision blurred, but she ignored it as she stood, shaking all the while; she focused on her human form and made the change quickly, grunting in pain.

"We need to get out of here." Miyako's voice was firm, commanding as she looked back at the small group. "The battle's lost; the only way we survive now is to run." She looked quietly at Himeko. "Himeko, if there's anything you need to do…"

"Thank you, Second Head."

Walking was suddenly a painful task, but Himeko ignored the ache and the throb and the blood and focused on Chikane. The distance seemed to last ten seconds and an eternity before she knelt over the girl. The hunter was no better off than she was; she was in pain, too, and blood loss would eventually make her pass out, but she would be okay. Himeko could smell humans on the wind, knew they would find her. "Chikane-chan…" She rested her forehead against the other girl's for a moment, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry. I never meant… I'm so sorry."

"Himeko…"

Opening her eyes, Himeko pulled away slowly, lowering her head and gently touching her lips to Chikane's; as she did so she took the girl's hand, uncurling her fingers. As she pulled back she unclasped her shell pendant and gently pressed it into Chikane's palm; the young hunter's fingers closed around it of her own will, and her eyes sought out Himeko's again.

Wincing, already feeling an ache, Himeko staggered up and weaved, nearly falling; and was shocked when she felt a small body press against her legs, a small arm around her waist, supporting her; Jin smiled up at her nervously as she turned away, and soundlessly Makoto slid in and lifted her arm, letting it rest over her shoulders. Moving together, the three headed back to the group, and they headed for the trees.

Chikane tried desperately to watch them go, wanted to remember this moment; but the darkness was coming in, the darkness and she was so tired, she couldn't fight anymore, she could hear her mother…

She succumbed to the darkness as Kazumi called her name.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Shit." Miyako brushed loose strands of hair out of her eyes, looking back. "They move fast."

"At this rate, we'll never make it." Reiko cradled Shirayuki in her arms, the small light gray pup being the only one who hadn't assumed her human form.

There was a moment of contemplation; Kazuki bounded down the rocks, assuming his human form. Souma blinked, hesitated, then followed him, brushing by Makoto briefly as he stood side by side with his brother. Realizing what they were doing, Reiko closed her eyes, blew out a long breath, and handed Shirayuki to Corona, following the two.

"_Go on." _Kazuki looked up at Miyako as Yukihito caught up with them, panting and covered in blood, having used their scent to follow them. _"We'll hold them off for as long as we can."_

Miyako's eyes widened. "Kazuki…"

"_Go."_

Miyako closed her eyes, torn; cursing under her breath she turned away. Makoto and Himeko stared disbelievingly at Souma, who lifted his head and curved his lips in a wolf smirk; they hesitated, then followed Miyako, Corona and Yukihito at their heels, Corona holding tight to Shirayuki and looking back at Reiko with wide, anguished eyes. The rust-colored female just raised her tail and her eyes softened.

They watched as their pack mates vanished, not looking away until they could no longer see them; only then did the three wolves look back in the direction of the humans, ready to defend their loved ones to the death.

Overhead, the moon was blocked out by the dark clouds above.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_DUDE! _Over _100 _reviews for my first KnM chapter fic!! Do you know how _awesome _that is? (hugs all the awesome reviewers and readers who have inspired me to continue for this long) This (long as hell) chapter is for all of you!

Read and review, please!


	17. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: _I don't own KnM, but I _do _have a lot of story ideas for it. Oh boy.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 17_

"_And I don't want the world to see me  
_'_Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
__When everything's made to be broken  
__I just want you to know who I am."_

-Goo Goo Dolls

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The first thing Tsubasa was aware of as his brain hummed into consciousness was that fact that he was… very warm. He was warm, the kind of warmth he often associated with sleeping with Miyako and Jin, and his head rested on something soft, gentle fingers running through his hair and occasionally tracing the lines of his face.

That was the second thing; he was most definitely _human_, and not wolf. When had he taken on his human form? He couldn't remember summoning it.

"Tsubasa? Are you awake?"

He jolted a little at the soft voice even as he recognized it. Frowning a little in confusion he slowly opened his eye, wincing as pain pounded dully throughout his whole body. Why was he in pain? He hadn't…

Oh.

The amnesia of waking from a deep sleep evaporated as he recalled the events of the last few hours, and he groaned. "Easy," Miyako murmured, leaning over to press a hand to his chest and keep him from moving. "I just bandaged your wounds, so you'll start bleeding again if you move so soon. Plus, you'll wake Jin." Her eyes gleamed; feeling his heart jolt at the mention of his son, Tsubasa cautiously tilted his head—he was resting on his back, he realized, his head on Miyako's lap—to see the small boy curled up next to him, asleep. "He's okay," he rasped.

"Yes; a little shaken up, but one can expect that. I'm quite proud of him, actually… he's been holding his form for awhile now and so far he's been able to ignore the side effects."

"I see." Tsubasa looked back up at his mate. "Where are we, Miyako?"

"Remember that little cabin Kazuki insisted on buying a few years ago? We came here when the fighting got bad and we had no choice but to run. Everyone's in human form…"

"Who…?"

"Corona's here, and a pup named Shirayuki. Yukihito and Makoto." She paused. "Himeko, too."

She waited, gauging her mate's reaction to the golden wolf's name; Tsubasa slowly closed his eye and sighed heavily, a deep gust of air. "I see," he said at last.

"Kazuki, Souma, and Reiko chose to stay behind." He opened his eye as Miyako continued. "Some hunters were coming after us, and they… they wanted to stay, give us some time. We haven't…" Her voice faltered, trembled. "We haven't heard anything yet, but we're keeping an ear out. Corona especially." She forced the laugh. "I think she feels a little lost without Reiko at her side."

Miyako was trying desperately to be optimistic about the fates of their pack mates, trying to fight the unavoidable guilt that chewed at her for leaving them; but Tsubasa could feel the tension in her body and knew she didn't really believe what she said. Letting her words die, she quietly traced Tsubasa's scar with a finger, and paused when he lifted his hand and covered her own. "Tsubasa?"

"I'm…" His lips twitched, almost curved into some shadow of a sad smile. "I'm a hypocrite, aren't I?"

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but you know…"

"It's true, though, isn't it?" He sighed and cursed softly, mindful of Jin sleeping beside him. "I rip Himeko apart for falling in love with a human, when the truth is I'm no different. I fell in love with a human, too." He chuckled tiredly. "Hell, I'm still in love with a human."

"I love you too, honey."

The gentle humor in Miyako's voice reminded the white wolf sharply of what had attracted him to her back when they had first met, when she had still been a wolf hunter too kind for her own good and he'd been a young wolf with revenge on his mind; that eternal optimism that always bubbled inside her, even when everything seemed to be at its darkest. He chuckled despite himself, and she smiled tiredly.

"… Tsubasa?"

"Yes?"

"Why…" Her voice softened slightly. "Why didn't you kill me back there? You could've. I wouldn't have fought you."

There was a long moment of silence as they gazed at each other; groaning again, a bit louder this time, Tsubasa slowly closed his eye. "Why didn't I kill you years ago like I intended?" he muttered. "I just… I couldn't do it, Miyako. Then, or now. Because I looked at you and I realized… you're the last person I'd ever want to kill."

He didn't say it outright; he had never been romantic even in his youth, and Miyako hadn't expected him to start now. But she understood what he was saying, what he'd left unsaid. And because she understood she lowered her head, gently touching her lips to his as tears dripped down her face, and she felt his hand against her cheek, warm and strong.

Beside Tsubasa, Jin slowly opened one eye, watching his parents. After a moment he closed his eye again, and there was no mistaking the small, relieved smile that curved his lips.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

In the trees, there was no light; just shadows and darkness. The light of the moon overhead was blocked out by clouds, making the blackness even more absolute. The figure stumbled through the trees guided by instinct and scent alone; eyesight did no good now. At least it wasn't raining anymore; it probably wouldn't have made any difference, but the added cold and wetness that rain usually brought wasn't something that could be dealt with right now.

Blood stained the grass, dripped from her wounds with every step she took; despite that and the pain, the weakness, Reiko plunged on, gritting her teeth and sagging against a tree for a moment as her vision blurred. She thumped her head against the tree a few times to clear her eyes and blew out a long breath, wincing as her side throbbed and blood spilled.

_Shit…_

Her legs trembled and nearly gave on her, but stubborn willpower made her release the tree and stand upright even as the movement sent a brilliant jolt of agony throughout her body. For a moment she saw nothing but a flash of white and cursed as a headache flared, pounding against her skull.

_Dammit, dammit, come on! You've come this far, there's no use quitting now._

Reiko smirked, forcing herself to walk again.

_And you're the only one left._

The revelation made her freeze; she felt as though a large, unseen hand had suddenly gripped her heart and was squeezing it tightly. The pain was staggering and nearly brought the disguised wolf to her knees as it finally hit her, as her brain, numbed by blood loss and darkness, comprehended what she'd known all along but had tried so desperately to ignore.

_You're the only one._

Reiko's face crumbled, and sobs tore from her throat as she sagged into the grass.

_You left them both behind to die._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_Miserable bastards, aren't they?"_

_It was the hint of humor in the voice that made Oota Corona open her eyes and look up; the stranger before her wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand before kneeling down, retrieving the two bracelets the thugs had tried to make off with. They gleamed silver, clinking quietly together as the dark-skinned woman made her way over to the young pop idol. "I think these are yours," she said, holding them out. "They must mean a lot to you, if you put up a fight for them."_

"_They are." Hesitantly, Corona took the bracelets, slid them back on and tried to ignore the throbbing of her cheek where one of the jerks had backhanded her. "My parents gave them to me."_

"_Ah… question. Did you… BITE one of those men?"_

_She said the words with absolutely no emotion or emphasis whatsoever, but the raised eyebrow said it all. Feeling the heat rush into her face Corona snapped, "He was trying to take my bracelets! What was I supposed to do to get him to let go of me?"_

"… _Guess that gives 'bite me' a whole new definition…"_

_Corona scowled at the woman, then blinked when she offered her hand. She really had nothing to lose, so she took it and let her pull her up. "Hey, you're Oota Corona, aren't you? That new pop idol?"_

"_Um… yes… and you're Kinjo Miayko, if I remember correctly."_

"_You know about wolf hunters?"_

"_A bit, yeah."_

_Obviously surprised by this, Miyako looked at her; Corona shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly feeling a little self conscious. She'd researched wolf hunters a little to get a feel of them for a song she was thinking of writing, but she hadn't expected Miyako to be surprised. She cleared her throat. "Well, uh… thank you for helping me, Kinjo-san."_

"_Do you live by here?"_

"_Yeah, actually, I do."_

"_Mind if I walk you there?"_

"_Eh?"_

_Miyako shrugged, the surprise fading from her eyes and looking as though she was back in her element. "Well, I just figure, it's still dark out and you look battered up, so someone might try and take advantage of that again. If I'm there, at the very least I can pull my gun or something."_

"… _You have a gun?"_

"_Hey. Wolf hunter. Comes with the job."_

_Corona wasn't touching that one with a ten foot pole._

"_I guess some company would be nice." She smiled timidly._

"_Okay then."_

_They walked together, side by side. Neither of them knew how far they would go in the years to come, but for now they had the tentative start of a friendship, and it was enough for both of them._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Corona."

The brown-haired young woman winced and slowly drifted from sleep, not even aware of the fact that she'd dozed off in the first place; she blinked groggily and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, pausing when she saw Shirayuki curled up in her arms, nestled comfortably against her, her head against the older wolf's heart. Corona had finally managed to convince the shy light gray wolf pup to take on her human form, so now a silver-haired, golden-eyed girl slept in her arms.

The scent of hot chocolate hit her, and she looked up to see Miyako standing over her, holding two cups in each hand. Despite everything, her eyes lit up. "Gimme."

"Figured you'd say that." With a soft laugh Miyako leaned down, and Corona carefully shifted Shirayuki so she could grab the cup and bring it to her lips, drinking deeply. The chocolate was warm and tasted sweet against her tongue.

Miyako sat down next to her easily, blowing a loose strand of purple hair out of her eyes; lowering her cup, Corona took a moment to observe her old friend's choice of clothing in her human form. "Fitting," she murmured, noticing the large black letters on her gray sweatshirt that boldly declared "BLOODBATH". The Second Head shrugged, taking a sip from her cup. "It fit my mood," she said simply.

"I bet. How's the White Terror?"

The Second Head chuckled at the use of her mate's old nickname. "Sore, but he'll live. The only thing he really bruised is his pride. He's asleep right now with Jin." She glanced down at Shirayuki. "What about your little friend?"

"Asleep, as you can see." Corona ran her hand through the silver strands. "She hasn't said a word yet, but… I think she's gotten attached to me and Reiko."

"Not surprising, all things considered…"

The former pop idol winced and nodded quietly, knowing that Miyako was talking about how Reiko and her mate had come to the pup's aid during the battle. She quietly took another sip of hot chocolate, one ear tuned for Reiko's howl. Seeing the subtle gesture, Miyako resisted the urge to wince. With every minute that passed, the chances of Reiko (and Souma and Kazuki, for that matter) returning alive slowly but surely faded.

"Miyako? Corona?"

The soft, hesitant voice made both Heads look up. Himeko and Makoto stood in the doorway; both had been bandaged after the fight, though it was hard to really tell because of the night clothes they wore. It was obvious that Himeko was the one who wanted to speak to the pair; Makoto hovered uneasily at her side, obviously uncomfortable with the situation but willing to support her cousin. Miyako and Corona exchanged quiet looks, knowing what was to come; it was the Second Head who spoke. "Yes, Himeko?"

"You were human once."

Miyako blinked, swallowing a mouthful of hot chocolate before setting the cup down, surveying Himeko with quiet gold eyes. She felt Corona's shoulder brush her own as the other woman shifted slightly. The dark-skinned woman chuckled softly, running a hand through her hair. "Jeez, nothing gets past you, does it?" She sighed and held up both hands as though in defeat. "Yes, I was human once."

"Same here." Corona's voice was soft, but slightly defiant. Miyako gently touched her shoulder to soothe her.

"I knew about Miyako…" Himeko's voice faltered, regained its strength. "I found out while I was with Chikane-chan."

"I figured as much."

Corona shifted subtly, in a way that her body was positioned between Himeko and Miyako; the Second Head immediately noticed and laid a hand on the former pop idol's shoulder. "Easy there, Trigger," she soothed. "Calm down. Look before you leap. And remember the sleeping girl in your lap."

At that moment, Shirayuki shifted against Corona, murmuring sleepily; grumbling a little the disguised dark brown wolf backed down, mindful of the pup she cradled in her arms. Content that her old (if slightly overprotective) friend had settled down, Miyako turned her eyes to Himeko and Makoto. "I figured as much," she repeated. "You've always been a sharp pup, Himeko, and I've never tried to hide my past." She shrugged. "The only reason Corona's name was never mentioned in any of the hunting records is because I never brought her up. If anyone asked, I just said I had a friend who sheltered wolves for me."

"And is that…" Himeko glanced nervously at Corona. "Is that how you met Reiko?"

Corona's voice was soft. "Yeah, pretty much."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"_So this is your latest rescue, eh?"_

_Corona knelt before the cage, propping her hand up in the palm of her hand and letting the other dangle as she gazed at the slim rust-colored wolf that lay in the cage. The wolf rested easily on her side, watching the pair of humans with narrow gold eyes. "She's a little small," the pop idol observed, eliciting a soft growl of protest._

"_She's young." Miyako glanced briefly at the wolf. "Probably only a yearling, or just recently turned two, by the look of her, so she's still got that puppy build."_

"_Ah…"_

_Intrigued by the silent female, Corona gently put her fingers through the bars and stroked the wolf's muzzle; a small shiver rippled through the wolf's body and she closed her eyes, sighing softly and shifting a little. As she shifted, Corona saw her leg was bandaged. "So what's her story?"_

"_Judging by her behavior, I think she was separated from her pack. She's something of a loner to begin with, but even lone wolves need companionship, and she's young, never been on her own before." The dark-skinned hunter sighed, feeling a flash of pity. "She was wandering through the woods and was drawn to a house with a couple German Shepherds; most likely they reminded her of her own pack, so she started hanging out there."_

"_And her leg?"_

"_The son of a bitch who owned the dogs figured he could set a cheap trap to catch her. Problem is, once she got caught, he didn't check the trap soon enough and she got cut up pretty bad trying to struggle free before he finally gave me a call."_

"_Bastard." Corona felt a flash of heated anger. "So you bandaged her up?"_

"_It was the only way to get her to walk, and even then she was limping pretty badly when I coaxed her into the cage…"_

_Saying nothing, the pop idol leaned forward a bit so she could scratch the young wolf behind the ears. The wolf shifted again and, to Corona's shock and delight, tilted her head so she was leaning more into her touch._

"_Anyway…" The change of tone made Corona look up at her friend. "I was wondering if you could keep her for awhile. She's pretty quiet and doesn't seem bothered by humans, so I doubt she'd give you much trouble."_

"_Hey, always willing to lend a hand. How long is she crashing at my place?"_

"_Awhile, unfortunately." Miyako grimaced. "I wanted to get her relocated quickly, but her leg needs time to heal and I have a new case that I can't put off."_

_Curious, Corona held out her free hand; knowing what she wanted, Miyako reached into her pocket and retrieved a photo, handing it to the pop idol. The younger girl gave a low whistle as she studied the white wolf captured on film. There was a dangerous gleam in his golden eyes, and his large body was pure muscle. "What a monster," she murmured, handing the photo back to Miyako. "He's your latest?"_

"_Yes. He's called the White Terror. He's attacked several humans so far, and my job is to shoot him down before he kills someone."_

"_Have fun with that, then."_

"_Oh, I will. You sure you don't mind keeping an eye on this one?"_

"_Nah." Corona smiled, rubbing the wolf's head. "We're already friends."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Um, question." Makoto's voice was timid, but she was urged on by Himeko's presence. "Just wondering… if you were both human, how did you become wolves? I mean, that's a pretty radical change, isn't it?"

Miyako gave a crooked smile. "Depends on who you talk to. You're familiar with half breeds, aren't you?"

"Yes, but what does that—"

"Wolves and humans are compatible."

Dead silence hung between the two pairs of wolves; Miyako sighed and ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head and looking sheepishly at Corona before turning her attention to Makoto and Himeko. "You're surprised?" she asked quietly. "Wolves can take on and maintain human forms; they can even _become _human, really, if they successfully hold their forms for seven days and seven nights. So, it's only natural that they're compatible, that they can produce offspring between them, provided the wolf is in human form."

"So then… you're…"

"Yes." Miyako's eyes softened slightly. "My mother was a wolf and she fell in love with my father, who was a human. My brother Girochi and I have always possessed the ability to become wolves, if we ever wished it."

Himeko glanced at Corona, who had said nothing during this time, quietly running her fingers through the still sleeping Shirayuki's hair. "So then, are you half wolf, too?" she asked softly.

"Sorry." Corona shook her head. "Hate to disappoint you, but I'm one hundred percent pure human." She paused, shrugged. "Or I used to be. Whatever."

"Then how did—"

"What separates humans and wolves, Himeko?"

There was a moment of silence as the golden wolf mulled this over; her eyes widened, and realization lit her face. "Freedom. Pride."

"Exactly. Basically, when you come down to it, what really makes humans and wolves so different from each other is a single instinct." Corona glanced briefly at Miyako, seeking assurance, before plunging on. "Call it freedom, call it pride, but it's instinct. When a human accepts this instinct, embraces it, they can become a wolf. In contrast, when a wolf denies this instinct or pushes it away, they can become a human."

"But… then that means that…"

"Yes." Miyako spoke then, her voice soft, subdued. "As much as we hate to admit it, humans and wolves aren't so different from each other… you could say they're practically the same."

A choked whimper escaped Himeko as she heard the words that she had so desperately craved since meeting Chikane; tears spilled down her cheeks and Makoto pulled her close, hugging her tightly with one arm as she wept. Corona lowered her eyes, biting her lip, as Miyako sighed softly.

And then a lone howl pierced the night sky, making all of them stiffen; Shirayuki opened her eyes, blinking groggily, as Tsubasa limped from his room, Jin at his side and Yukihito stumbled down the hall. Tensely, they listened, straining their ears for that sound.

The howl came again, closer than before; but it was alone, with no other howls following it or echoing it. Three wolves had been left behind, and from the sound of it, only one had returned.

Souma, Kazuki, and Reiko had been left behind to fight off the humans.

And the only one calling to them now was Reiko.

A low, anguished sob tore from Makoto's throat and she sank to her knees with a thud as she crumbled, bowing her head as tears fell and ragged sobs ripped through her whole body. Himeko wrapped her arms tightly around her cousin, feeling her own tears fall, and closed her eyes.

They both knew Souma was gone.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

They ran outside regardless, and Corona had pulled Reiko into her arms and held her now as though she never wanted to let the other woman go again. The normally stoic woman had nuzzled her face into Corona's throat, unable to look any of her pack mates in the eyes, covered in blood and exhausted, stricken by grief and guilt.

Dimly, Himeko couldn't help but wonder why the rain had chosen now to stop falling.

They stood that way for a moment, quietly huddled together, a small, broken group of the once large pack they'd all known and loved. After a moment, his arm tight around Miyako and his son between them, Tsubasa spoke, his voice rough.

"There is no reason for any of us to remain wolves anymore." They all looked at him silently as he continued. "We have nothing to return to, and nothing to rebuild. A quiet life as humans… that would suit us now."

Quiet murmurs of agreement and small nods were his only real response; Himeko still held Makoto close, whispering softly into her cousin's ear. Sniffling a little, Makoto lifted her head and held out a hand, beckoning Yukihito; the lone male took her hand and let her pull him into their small group, biting his lip to keep his tears for his father at bay.

"Tomorrow, we become humans," Tsubasa rasped. "But one last time, let us become wolves. Let us honor our loved ones who gave their lives… and can't be here with us now."

Silently, one by one, they each dropped their human forms, even the pups, Jin who huddled between his parents and Shirayuki who rested between Corona's front paws. And one by one, still in silence, they tilted their heads back, opened their mouths, and howled.

They howled together as one, letting the wind take their voices away into the night sky. And though the distance was great, the humans heard the mournful howls of the wolves.

And it broke their hearts.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Mako?"

No response from her cousin, huddled up on her bed with her back to Himeko; frowning, slowly sitting up, the golden-haired girl swung her feet out and stood, crossing the room. She saw the way Makoto's body trembled, and her heart ached. "Oh, Mako," she whispered hoarsely, leaning down and gently lifting the auburn-haired girl up, wrapping her arms around her. Makoto just whimpered, sobbing weakly as she nuzzled into the crook of Himeko's neck, seeking comfort.

Not even bothering to speak Himeko just tightened her hold on Makoto and closed her eyes, resting her cheek against her hair and feeling her tears fall again.

Down the hall in another room, Reiko winced as Corona carefully bandaged one of her numerous wounds. "Sorry," the brown-haired girl murmured as her mate looked away, at the ground. "I'm really sorry. Am I hurting you?"

"It's nothing."

Reiko's voice was rough, her eyes still on the ground and her whole body trembling. Concerned, Corona sat down on the bed in front of her mate. "Hey," she said softly, touching Reiko's cheek, and blinked when she felt wetness. "Reiko?"

"They…" Reiko's voice shook, broke. "They… told me…"

"What?"

"Souma… and Kazuki… they told me to…"

For a moment Corona gazed at the other woman, puzzled; the next instant her eyes widened as she understood exactly what Reiko was trying to say. "Shit, Reiko…"

"_They told me to leave them!"_

Reiko lifted her eyes, tears streaming down her face as her body shook with the force of the grief she no longer tried to fight. "They told me to leave them behind," she whispered hoarsely, gripping Corona's shoulders. "They were hurt and bleeding and they told me to _leave them_, and I _listened to them_!" A sob escaped her. _"Why?! Why did I listen to them?!!"_

"Reiko." Corona swallowed, sliding one arm around Reiko's waist. "If you'd stayed, you would have _all _been killed. You know that."

"But… _DAMMIT!_"

With a high, keening wail of grief and anguish, Reiko buried her face into Corona's neck, sobbing raggedly. "Why?" she repeated weakly as her tears scorched her mate's skin. "Why did I listen to them?"

Wordlessly, Corona turned her head and hugged Reiko close, knowing words would do nothing to heal the wounds on her mate's heart. She closed her eyes, feeling tears burn.'

"Reiko…"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

As Chikane stirred from darkness, she realized she was back in her own bed. She blinked groggily, wincing as her head ached, and slowly sat up, her eyes widening slightly. "Mom?" she said weakly when she saw her mother at her bedside. "What… what are you doing here?"

"You're awake." In a single fluid motion Kazumi pulled her daughter into her arms, blowing out a ragged breath. "Thank God, you're awake."

"Of course I am." The blue-haired girl pulled back, forcing a weak smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Kazumi laughed, though it was weak and forced, and released her daughter. Chikane winced a bit as her body ached and her vision dimmed. "Where's Father?"

"He's with… well… what remains of our hunting party." Kazumi closed her eyes. "We lost a lot of people out there tonight… we almost thought we lost you…"

"Mom." Chikane touched her mother's hand. "I'm fine, see? I'm okay. I just…"

She trailed off, frowning in confusion as she felt something prick the skin of her hand; puzzled, she lifted her hand and slowly uncurled her fingers, staring at the small, pale pink shell pendant in her palm. Her eyes widened. "What…?"

"You had that when we found you." Kazumi gazed quietly at her daughter. "You never let go of it. You held on to it as if your life depended on it."

For a moment Chikane said nothing, timidly stroking the pendant with her fingers. The shell felt smooth and cool against her fingertips, and she could still see faint trails of blood on the patterns. She bit her lip and shook her head, lowering her hand as she felt tears sting her eyes at the pain in her chest. She looked up at her mother, exhaling shakily even as she felt tears slip down her cheeks.

"Chikane." Kazumi's voice was gentle, soft.

That did it; with a sob Chikane crumbled, letting her tears fall and feeling no guilt as Kazumi sat next to her, drawing her daughter into her arms and holding her tightly, trying to comfort her. "Himeko, _Himeko…_"

Hearing her say the name raggedly only confirmed Kazumi's suspicions; her heart aching for her daughter, she closed her eyes and gently stroked the teenager's back, feeling memories of her past rise, of playing with a small, blue-haired girl and finding the body of a dead black half wolf when Isamu had led a search party to find his sister Orihime.

_She's just like you after all, Tsuki_, she mused silently to herself. _She's just like you to the very end._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

This was a difficult chapter for me to write. I wanted it to be conveyed that in the end no one really won, but... eh. Dunno how well that came across.

Next chapter's the last one, folks. Just a warning.

Read and review, please!


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: _I don't own KnM, yadda yadda yadda, you already know the drill.

_Author's Note: _I apologize for the delay this time around... my inspiration has a bad habit of carrying me through a story and then abandoning me at the very last chapter. I hate writing last chapters.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Chapter 18_

"_I love you  
__I have loved you all along  
__And I forgive you  
__For being away for far too long  
__So keep breathing  
_'_Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
__Believe it  
__Hold on to me and never let me go."_

-Nickelback

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_It's been two years since we became human._

_The night after we howled for the last time, Miyako got into contact with her brother Girochi and filled him in on the situation. It turns out they've been keeping in touch (As in touch as a wolf and a human can be, I suppose), and when he learned about the hunt he offered us a place to stay. We've been there ever since._

_As soon as we moved in with Girochi and held our human forms for the seven days and seven nights required to make us human, Tsubasa insisted on marrying Miyako 'the human way', as he so grudgingly put it. Miyako quietly pointed out that technically they'd been married as wolves, so he didn't really need it; but Tsubasa wanted their marriage to be legal in the eyes of any human who saw them together. And then, when that was all being arranged, Corona and Reiko decided they wanted to get married, too. So we had a double wedding._

_We all settled into human lives well enough. Tsubasa went to work at the company Girochi owns; he's like his second in command or something. The two of them don't exactly get along (apparently there's some past history concerning Miyako's decision to become a wolf and Tsubasa losing his eye), but they get along, if that makes any sense. Jin and Shirayuki are both currently nine (by human standards, anyway) and they've become good friends. Shirayuki was adopted by Corona and Reiko not long after they got married, and she views them both as mother figures. Well… except for the fact that she calls Reiko 'Dad', but we all get a laugh out of it. And the way Reiko looks as a human, who can blame her?_

_Corona went back to her band and is now a famous pop idol; everyone who sees her on the street knows her name now. Reiko became a mangaka, and she's actually quite good at it; the first manga she ever sold was based off me and Chikane-chan, and it's a popular title even now. I think she called it Wolf's Moonlight._

_Mako, Yukihito, and I all enrolled in high school; we're starting our first year at college now. Mako is hoping to become a track star—she's a truly gifted runner, and she told me once that it reminds her of her days as a wolf—but she's also studying in journalism and photography if that falls through (I doubt it, though… some pretty famous coaches already have their eyes on her). Yukihito's apprenticing with Tsubasa and Girochi at the international company Girochi owns. And me? Well…_

_I'm studying photography with Mako at the moment; it intrigues me, honestly, the ability to capture a moment on film and preserve it forever. I've been interested in it ever since I read that book while I was with Chikane-chan. Mako insisted that she took the course just as a backup if track fails her, but somehow I get the feeling she's just keeping an eye on me like she always does._

… _I have a health condition now. It's not really that serious, you know, but… I guess my lung never fully recovered from the damage of Chikane-chan's bullet, and then fighting Tsubasa right after that was just too much for it. It's not fatal or anything, every now and then I just cough up some blood when I'm not feeling well. The first time it happened after we became humans Mako panicked and thought I was dying, but I couldn't blame her, after everything she's been through…_

_She's gotten awfully close to Yukihito as of late, though. They're always arguing or teasing each other, and Miyako just rolls her eyes and says that it means they care about each other a lot. I hope she's right. I know Mako will always love Souma, but I don't want her to be alone for the rest of her life._

_We also have a new pack mate… well, member of the family, since we're not really wolves anymore. Her name is Kazuko, and she's Miyako and Tsubasa's daughter. She's only two years old, she was born not long after they got married. According to Girochi, her name means "harmonious child". It fits; she's so young, but she never picks a fight with anyone, and she always tries to make people laugh and smile. It's nice to have a little one around; it keeps us all busy._

…

_It's funny, but even now, I can't forget Chikane-chan. My feelings for her haven't changed in the least. I… I still love her. I'm still in love with her._

_I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not…_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Among the trees, birds chirped softly, calling to each other as the gentle beams of light lazily broke through the branches. A quiet wind wafted across the clearing, stirring the grass and bringing with it a brief chill to distract from the general warmth of the day. Despite it, Himemiya Kazumi never once stirred from her sitting place, quietly twirling a flower between her fingers as the wind toyed with the black strands of her hair. She closed her eyes and smiled briefly as she let the flower fall from her fingers.

"Well, well," she murmured quietly to nobody in particular, "it's been eighteen years today since you died, Tsuki. I imagine it makes no difference to you, though." She leaned back, bracing her hands behind her to support her body as she gazed up at the sky with midnight blue eyes—the same eyes her daughter had, the same eyes her adopted sister had somehow possessed.

The grass felt faintly warm against her fingers, most likely from the sunlight, and tickled her skin. "You never were one for time," Kazumi continued. "You just grabbed the moment with both hands and lived for it." She laughed briefly. "I'm amazed, honestly, that Chikane's Himeko is related to you at all. She's so different from you, but I guess that's just the generation gap. Still… I bet even _you _never imagined that her human form would be the spitting image of your beloved Orihime."

There had been some things, Kazumi mused as the wind blew by again, that she would never really know about Tsuki. But there was still plenty that she did know, as well; or, at the very least, suspected.

"_You know, you're one of those people whose gut instinct is always right. And for someone like me, your little sister, that's extremely annoying."_

Even now, she could recall the indignant tone a then twelve-year-old Tsuki had used when she'd said this to her sister, who had been thirteen at the time. Back then, Kazumi had just laughed it off. But as she'd grown older, it had stopped being funny.

"Chikane's gone." Leaning forward again, Kazumi plucked a strand of grass from the ground and twirled it between her fingers again, much like she'd done before with the flower. "She left two years ago, about the same time your surviving wolves vanished. Searching for her Himeko, no doubt." She sighed. "I worry about her… Isamu and I both do, but she's always been a gifted hunter and I've no doubt she'll find what she's looking for. She sends letters anyway, so we know she's holding her own." She tossed the grass away, watched it dance briefly in the wind before it was dropped back to the ground. "I know I've never been one to really believe in ghosts or spirits or the afterlife, but I like to think you're watching over her, little sister, wherever you are. You and Orihime both. I hope you're watching over Chikane and Himeko, because they need all the help they can get."

With that said, Kazumi closed her eyes and sighed, wiping at the tears that had started to gather.

And though she was never one to believe in ghosts or spirits or the afterlife, for just a brief moment, she felt the warm brush of fur against her shoulder, felt the wolf muzzle that touched the skin of her neck, a phantom touch.

And she believed that Tsuki was assuring her that everything would be just fine now.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Don't you think you should be studying, Mako?"

"Oh, come on, Hime. We don't have school today. What's a break if you can't enjoy it?"

Makoto smiled and closed one eye, completing the playful face she'd hoped to achieve; Himeko just sighed and shook her head, running her fingers absently through Jin's hair as the boy sat curled in her lap, playing his Gameboy. "Do what you want," the golden-haired girl said, yielding and brushing loose strands of hair out of her eyes. Next to her Shirayuki was studying the small screen with intent golden eyes, encouraging Jin on in a quiet tone.

"I'm bored." From his place on the couch, Yukihito sat up and slowly set his legs on the ground, leaning back. His human form was just as lanky and lean as his wolf form had been, and after two years Himeko still wasn't completely used to it. "If I'd known it would be like this, I would have gone with Girochi-sama or Tsubasa."

"Oh, hush. You're the one who chose to stay home when you were given the choice." Makoto rolled her eyes and grabbed the remote, flicking the television on as Yukihito grumbled and slunk off the couch to disappear behind it, probably to get a drink or something. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, look! Wolf's Rain is on!"

The next instant, Shirayuki gave a little startled shriek as Yukihito flew over the couch, a blur of golden-brown; Jin's head immediately shot up, and he pulled the girl closer to him protectively, causing Himeko to shift as the two children tumbled into her lap. "We are watching that show over my dead body!" the boy bellowed, diving on Makoto and making a grab for the remote. "That anime is depressing and the ending makes me cry! Gimme that remote!" The two began to grapple for it.

Himeko sighed and shook her head before looking down, smiling a little. "Jin, you can let go of Shirayuki now," she said gently.

"Oh." Jin blinked. "Right." The nine-year-old boy immediately released the girl, but made no move to force her away from his side. Shirayuki's eyes had narrowed just so when he'd moved his arm, but when he made no complaint about her being so close to him she settled back down.

_Puppy love, _Himeko mused with another fleeting smile. Shirayuki turned her eyes back to Makoto and Yukihito, who were both still wrestling for control of the remote; she blinked. "They're still going at it?" the silver-haired girl asked after a moment.

"More or less." Himeko sighed again. "They do this a lot. You just get used to it."

"They won't hurt each other, will they?"

"I doubt it."

At that moment, Makoto's foot braced against Yukihito's chest. The boy's eyes widened. "Mako, don't you dare—"

Makoto kicked out. Hard. So hard that Yukihito tumbled across the floor and landed with a loud crash on the other side of the room. "Too late," Himeko muttered.

Well, as long as there was no blood, she wouldn't get involved. She still had to keep an eye on the kids, anyway.

That was her excuse, and she was sticking with it.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

It had taken her two years to just get her hands on the human name Himeko had adopted after leaving her wolf self behind, and ironically it had all come together surprisingly fast after that. Some part of her was still kicking herself for not realizing sooner that the young golden-haired woman would probably use the same name she'd used before, but that was a different matter.

She hadn't been surprised to discover, after dipping into school records, that Himeko and Makoto shared the same surname, Kurusugawa. The two had a strong bond, and probably always would, and by sharing a surname they were reflecting that bond in a way that humans could understand.

When those kinds of thoughts entered her head, she felt a sick feeling welling in her stomach, bile rising in her throat; so she did her best to forget those thoughts all together.

(She still couldn't forget that night, that night when they brought her to the bodies of two of the wolves that had been slain, and with a choked sob she'd recognized the black fur of Himeko's dear friend Souma.)

Shaking her head and pushing old memories back into the darkest corners of her mind, Himemiya Chikane brushed loose strands of blue hair out of her eyes and blew out a long, ragged breath she hadn't even been aware of holding. She shifted quietly from foot to foot as a stray wind whistled by, studying the large house before her with quiet eyes. Her hand reached up, her fingers closing tightly around the pink seashell she wore on a gold chain.

The young heir of Himemiya was still a distance away from the porch, close enough to see what was going on but far away enough so that no one had realized her presence just yet. Oota Reiko and Oota Corona sat on the porch, Reiko sketching on a pad as Corona leaned comfortably against her, eyes closed and listening to an iPod, no doubt searching for new inspiration. Oogami Miyako sat with her knees against her chest, watching a small, purple-haired young girl play on the stairs, occasionally crawling over to Reiko and tugging at her sleeve, which caused the mangaka to tilt her pad just so and letting the child see whatever it was she was drawing.

It was a scene of a family. Blood bonds didn't matter, had never mattered. They were human now, but still wolves at heart. And they still considered each other family.

It scared the hell out of Chikane, because those same family bonds could be just the thing that kept her away from Himeko. Wolf memory ran deep, and that fateful night was only two years old. Still, she hadn't come this far to quit now. Taking a deep breath she started toward them, praying she appeared more sure of herself outwardly than she did inwardly.

Another stray wind kicked in, whooshing past her and whipping by the people gathered on the porch; as one she saw them all glance up, with the exception of the little girl that had obviously been born human. Chikane felt her heart plummet to her feet but kept walking, quietly cursing the fact that the wolf sense of smell was still very much intact. As she drew closer, Miyako narrowed her eyes and slowly rose.

It was true that Chikane had only gotten a brief glimpse of the former Second Head on that long ago night, and that had been in her wolf form; her fur bristling, her muscles tense, teeth bared. Even so, her human form successfully appeared to be just as majestic—and just as subtly threatening. She moved the way a mother wolf moved when her pups were threatened, quietly crossing her arms over her chest and studying Chikane.

"Himemiya-san." Her voice was calm, with no particular emotion showing through, a neutral tone. "What a surprise. "

"Likewise… Oogami-san now, isn't it? I heard about the wedding." Chikane nodded, figuring a smile would be a little too friendly, considering the circumstances. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, but I somehow doubt you came all this way to just talk about that."

The lie had been flimsy, and even Chikane herself knew it; still, she couldn't fight the small twinge of annoyance and fear when Miyako saw through it clearly. She squared her shoulders and met her gaze evenly. "That's true."

"What makes you think she wants to see you again?"

It was the exact thing Chikane feared, even more so than death itself; because if Himeko didn't want to her ever again, she didn't know what she'd do. The ache she felt in her chest right now was testament to how hard it had been to live two years without the golden-haired girl, and somehow the former hunter doubted she could live with it for the rest of her life. But if Himeko really didn't want her around, then… "If she doesn't want to see me again, then I'll leave," Chikane said softly. "I'll respect that. But I just… I need…" She trailed off, lost, and looked helplessly at Miyako, not knowing how to explain her feelings to the older woman.

Miyako's eyes softened slightly. "You want to be sure she's all right, is that it?"

"Yes. That's all I need." She took a deep breath. "Once I know that… if she wants me gone… then I'll go. As long as I know she's okay… that she'll live… then I can be alone."

For a long moment of silence Miyako studied the young hunter, lowering one hand to run it through the hair of her little girl as she wandered over to her mother, hiding behind her legs as she looked at the stranger with wary golden eyes. Corona had long since removed her earphones to listen to what was being said, and even Reiko was watching the whole thing silently, intrigued.

Finally, Miyako sighed heavily.

"Wait here. I'll go get her."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"I swear to God, Mako, if you don't give me the remote I'll shove it up your—"

"Oooo, Yukihito, didn't know you were into kinky stuff."

"_Ass_, you pervert, _ass_!"

Himeko didn't even bother scolding the pair for their use of language with Shirayuki and Jin in the same room; she doubted they'd listen, anyway, and the words weren't anything the kids hadn't heard before. Jin and Shirayuki had long since abandoned the Gameboy in favor of watching Makoto and Yukihito wrestle for the remote, and were currently cheering the combatants on and making various bets about who would win and what they would do to the loser.

The golden-haired girl made no move to stop it. The whole _was _amusing and made her smile, and it was a nice distraction from the painful throb in her chest that had haunted her for the past two years. She smiled slightly.

"I leave you alone for two minutes and all hell breaks loose, eh?"

Makoto and Yukihito immediately stilled and looked up; Himeko smirked before following their eyes. Miyako stood in the doorway, holding little Kazuko in her arms, gazing at the small group with amusement. Jin immediately streaked to his mother, proclaiming his innocence, and when Shirayuki saw Corona and Reiko flanking Miyako she immediately did the same thing. "It was funny, Mom," the green-haired boy pleaded, looking up at her.

"Yeah, Mom, Dad, it was funny." Shirayuki held out her arms and Reiko immediately obliged, handing her sketchpad to Corona so she could lift their adopted daughter into her arms. "But Jin and I didn't do it."

"No, no, we didn't. We're totally innocent."

"Yeah. Innocent."

Reiko laughed and exchanged amused looks with Corona as Shirayuki tucked her head beneath her chin. "Is that so?"

"It's the truth, Dad! Tell Dad it's the truth, Jin."

"It is!"

Miyako chuckled softly and ran a hand through Jin's hair as Makoto and Yukihito scrambled off each other, both blushing deeply and unable to look each other in the eye as they realized exactly what position they had been in. Deeply amused by the whole thing, Himeko continued to sit where she was, content to just be the spectator.

"Himeko, that reminds me." Miyako turned her attention from her son to speak to her. "You have a visitor outside."

"A visitor?" Himeko blinked in surprise.

"Yes. A young lady. I believe her name is Himemiya Chikane, and she was wearing a little shell pendant around her neck." Shifting Kazuko slightly, Miyako tapped a finger to her chest, where she'd seen the pendant. "Sound familiar, by any chance?"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"I should go with her."

"Mako, no."

"Yes! I should be there! At the very least, I should be there for support!"

"Mako."

The soft, firm tone of Yukihito's voice cut Makoto's weak protests off immediately. She grimaced and looked away, staring at the floor. "We knew she'd come," she said softly. "Himemiya, I mean. Everyone knew she'd come for Himeko eventually, except maybe Himeko herself. Even _Tsubasa_ knew, and he and Miyako agreed with everyone else to let them figure this out."

"You're still worried"

"Of course I'm worried!" Makoto's eyes whipped back to meet Yukihito's again, anger and hurt mingled. "She hurt my cousin, physically _and _emotionally. I know Himeko doesn't blame her for any of it, but I still think of it that way. I… I don't want her hurt again."

"Don't you think she'll just be hurt more if she and Himemiya don't resolve things somehow?"

Makoto trailed off and shook her head, biting her lip. Smiling a little despite himself, Yukihito gently touched his forehead to hers. "Hey," he said, and she looked up at him. "They'll figure it out."

She smiled weakly. It wasn't much, but somehow, it soothed her. She closed her eyes and chuckled.

"You know, I think I might kind of like you after all, Yukihito."

"Same goes, Mako."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Chikane-chan."

As the other girl looked at her, blinking a few times, Himeko had to resist the urge to fly down the stairs and tackle her and never let her go again. Chikane's eyes widened briefly and for a moment she seemed to just stare. She swallowed gamely and nodded. "Himeko." Around her neck, the shell pendant gleamed weakly in the sunlight.

Himeko saw it immediately, and her heart both jolted painfully at the memories it carried and jumped joyfully with the knowledge that Chikane hadn't gotten rid of it. "You kept it," she murmured, cautiously meeting Chikane's eyes as she walked down the stairs, stopping again just a few feet from the other girl.

"Yes." _It's all I had left of you._

A tense, almost awkward silence fell after the soft word let the blue-haired girl's lips; Chikane hesitated before speaking again, forcing herself to meet Himeko's gaze steadily and not look away. "So… how have you been since…?"

A moment; then Himeko spoke, her voice unusually soft. "I've been all right. We've been all right, all of us. A few everlasting health problems here and there for me, you know, but it could have been worse." She shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck. "My lung isn't what it used to be—I cough up some blood now and again when I'm not feeling well or when I'm stressed, you know—but I'm not dead, which probably counts for something. I haven't figured out what yet, but I guess I will sooner or later."

"And… are you the only survivors?" Chikane winced. _Nice, real nice._

"We don't really know. The pack was scattered, so we've never really… known for sure how many of us survived. We don't even know how many of us died, with the exception of Kazuki and Souma."

Despite the fact that it had been two years since their deaths, pain still flickered clearly in Himeko's eyes and her voice still shook; subconsciously she backed away a step, wrapping her arms around her waist in a gesture that was both protective and vulnerable. Seeing the movement for what it was, Chikane realized what it was she had to do—for both of them, and even if not, for Himeko.

She felt her heart snap neatly in two and pointedly ignored it, forcing the smile.

"I just wanted to make sure you… were okay," she said. "And now that I know… I can be at peace with myself. I… I guess I should go now."

Chikane turned away, so Himeko couldn't see the tears gathering in her eyes. And because she knew her heart wanted so badly to stay, she began to walk away.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Wait, what?_

Himeko blinked and stared as Chikane began to walk away. Just stared. Her eyes widened; her mouth opened, but no words left her throat. Her whole body was frozen, almost paralyzed, as though some unseen force had reached up from the ground and now gripped her feet so tightly that she could barely move, much less think.

She saw a flash of pink as Chikane turned away, her shell around the other girl's neck, and it snapped her back out of her self-induced trance. Without thinking she reached out, taking a step. "Chikane-chan!"

The former hunter froze at Himeko's call; a small tremor rippled through her whole body before she turned. "Yes?"

Were those… _tears _shimmering in her eyes? Tears that hadn't yet had a chance to fall? Was it possible that Chikane… _didn't _want to go, but was leaving because she believed it to be best, because she believed that Himeko wanted her gone? The thought made her heart jump again, but she couldn't find the words, the way to express what she wanted so desperately to say.

At that moment, the wind picked up again, whipping past both girls; Chikane blinked in confusion and brushed loose strands of blue hair out of her eyes as the breeze tugged at the pendant around her neck, and Himeko felt a shiver run down her back, as though someone was watching her; she looked over her shoulder as the wind continued to blow.

For an instant, just a single moment, she thought she saw them; the two forms standing side-by-side behind her, one a young, light-haired woman with a gentle smile and the other a slim black wolf, both of them standing together, the woman's hand resting lovingly on the wolf's back, their bodies shimmering and see through, almost as though they were ghosts. The black wolf gazed steadily at Himeko, her dark blue eyes quietly urging her on.

She blinked, and they were gone.

For a moment Himeko just stared, unsure if her eyes had been playing tricks on her; after a moment, she turned back to face Chikane. The other girl looked just as confused as Himeko felt, though somehow she got the feeling it was for a different reason. "Himeko?" Chikane asked softly, her tone uncertain, slightly pleading.

Himeko closed her eyes; after a moment, she opened them again and slowly met Chikane's gaze, swallowing the lump in her throat and praying her voice wouldn't fail her now, when she needed it the most.

"Don't… please don't go, Chikane-chan," she whispered. "Because… because I love you. I don't want you… to go away. I don't want to be anywhere without you ever again." She swallowed, felt the first tears fall. "Please."

Chikane's eyes widened; timidly she took one step, then another, and another, walking slowly but surely toward Himeko. She hesitated briefly before pausing. "I love you too," she murmured. "And I don't… I don't want to go. I don't…" She smiled. "I don't want to be anywhere without you, either."

Cautiously, the blue-haired girl began to walk again, still smiling; beginning to smile in return, Himeko started to walk, as well. Somehow, the walk became a run, and suddenly Himeko was in Chikane's arms and there was only a brief moment as they looked into each other's eyes. Himeko smiled quietly before leaning up and gently touching her lips to Chikane's, and the blue-haired girl's arms tightened around her, pulling her closer.

"Caught you," Chikane whispered when they finally broke apart, smirking. She nuzzled Himeko's neck as the golden-haired girl laughed softly, tucking her head under the taller girl's chin and closing her eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, you did."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Told you it was cute, Reiko."

"Yes, you did, Corona. You did."

"… You know, you owe me twenty bucks now."

"… Dammit."

**The End**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

... _GOD_, that was freakin' _CORNY_. And I choked up while writing it. Hell, something must be wrong with me.

Anyway, since this is your last time reviewing this fic and whatnot, feel free to just cut loose; tell me how you felt about the OCs, how the AU characters were potrayed, whatever you want. I always enjoy reading your opinions... helps my writing.

I have some other KnM ideas, but they're on hold until I update my other stories... I kinda sorta abandoned them to devote so much time to this one... (shot by fans of other stories)

I'd also like to thank all the readers and reviewers who carried me through writing this story, you're all my inspiration to keep going and... God, that sounds even sappier than the ending of this fic. (laughs)

Anyway... for the last time, read and review, please!


End file.
